


Four Magical Misfits

by BohemianBeth



Series: Four Magical Misfits [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Deacury, Demons, Everyone Is Gay, Fantasy, M/M, Maylor - Freeform, Mermaids, Muses, Shapershifters, Sirens, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2020-02-27 09:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 230,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18736183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BohemianBeth/pseuds/BohemianBeth
Summary: When Freddie Mercury took a leap of faith by trusting a hunter to escape the clutches of his demon captor, he never imagined it would lead to him finding the love of his life, saving a siren, and forming a family of magical misfits.Maylor/Deacury Fantasy AU





	1. It's A Hard Life

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my new story! This is going to be similar in style and tone to my other Queen fanfiction, Rebels of Rhye, so check that out if your interested, and if you've come here from there or In Only Seven Days or whatever the hell The Incredible Shrinking Deaky is, then it's good to see you again! Just to let you know, Freddie and Roger's characters in this story are loosely inspired by two Disney princesses. I think it's pretty obvious who they're supposed to be, but I'll let you guess in the comments. I've been wanting to do this fantasy AU for a while, but it does include the Maylor/Deacury ships. If you're not interested in the ships, turn back now. For those of you still here, let's get through some quick disclaimers. This is a fantasy AU in which the boys are magical creatures so obviously none of it is accurate. Please be respectful and know that I don't mean any harm and just want to have some fun writing this for fellow Queen fans. Don't send this story to Queen members or anyone associated to Queen or anyone else who might find this offensive. I own nothing. This story will be cross posted on my Wattpad account @beth_lynn. With all that out of way, enjoy!
> 
> Trigger Warning: This first chapter is pretty dark overall but there is one scene in particular that features animal abuse and even though it turns out okay in the end, I'm just warning you to be prepared for it!

_Freddie's POV_

I hummed quietly to myself as I dragged the brush across the canvas, in complete focus. This painting was going to turn out better than all the others, and I just knew it! Then a clash of piano keys distracted me from my masterpiece. Knowing what to expect, I looked up to see my frisky feline friend resting her furry body atop my shiny grand piano. Well, technically the instrument wasn't mine, but I was the one who used it, so it belonged to me in that sense. "Delilah!" I scolded, "You know my rules. Paws off the piano, darling. I'm the only one who touches it."

The cat stubbornly nestled herself into a little ball, clearly determined to stay on the piano unless I forcibly removed her. Delilah was my only companion and I loved her dearly, but she could be as stubborn as me sometimes. ' _I'm napping here.'_ Delilah mewled, ' _And there is nothing you can do to stop me!'_

Being alone with Delilah all these years taught me how to bargain with her. "Nap on our bed like you're supposed to, and I'll ask Paul to bring you back fresh tuna from the fishers' market the next time he goes out to the civilization."

Delilah hissed at me.  _'It's warmer here.'_ She protested. I sighed and stared up at the tower's only window overlooking my piano. Sunlight streamed through the glass, sparkling across the ivory.

"Sometimes I wonder why you stay here with me." Delilah was free to come and go as she pleased, but she refused to leave my side ever since I saved her as a kitten. I would surely go mad without her company, but I wanted Delilah to know that even though I was a prisoner, she didn't have to be confined to this tower with me. The cat opened her eyes and purred gently.  _'You're the only one who can understand me. All the others treat me like an animal instead of a friend.'_

"You  _are_ an animal." I reminded her, walking over to the piano bench to give her a pet, "But I see you as my friend and my equal."

' _I'll leave this tower when you do. I've been trying to get you out of here for years, but you never listen to me. You always say that it's too dangerous to leave and Paul is keeping you here for your own good.'_

"He is." I insisted, "He saved me, Delilah. If it wasn't for Paul, I'd still be in that laboratory being abused and treated like a fucking science experiment."

' _And you don't think Paul is abusing you by keeping you here and forcing you to sing for him?'_

"It's different." I argued.

Delilah rolled her cat eyes and shut them again. I realized that I still hadn't succeeded in moving her from my piano. Before I could try another tactic, a familiar call could be heard from outside.

"Farrokh, let out you voice!"

"Coming, Paul!" I hollered.

' _Coming master.'_ Delilah mocked.

"Not another word!" I hissed.

' _All he'll hear are meows, so it doesn't matter what I say.'_ She went back to sleep as I approached the window and looked down. As to be expected, Paul was waiting for me, impatiently stomping his foot. Using my powers even for simple tasks was always somewhat draining, but I had no choice. Besides, Paul wasn't pushing me beyond my limits like the scientists were. I opened the window and belted a high note, calling upon a great force of wind to lift Paul up like he was flying so he could join me in the tower. I exhaled and sat down trying to catch my breath.

"Oh don't be such a drama queen." Paul chuckled, as he stepped down from the windowsill, "I doubt it took up  _that_  much energy. You manage to do it every time I come and go."

"If you need me to sing the special song, you'll have to wait at least a few minutes for me to catch my breath." I panted.

"I'm only joking. You take as much time as you need, Farrokh. In fact, I don't think I'm in need of the special song at the moment. I killed enough game to sustain me." Paul held up the bag filled with the aftermath of his hunt. He was probably going to chop up the murdered forest critters and put them in tonight's stew which I had no choice but to eat. My cooking skills were inferior, and a tower with no doors and only one window was a fire hazard. I was lucky Paul even gave me enough to eat. Recalling how skinny I had gotten in the laboratory made me shudder.

"So what did you do while I was out hunting?" Paul inquired as he put away his rifle.

"I painted." I held up my latest creation. Even though it was incomplete, I was quite proud of how it was progressing. When Paul laid eyes upon the blonde girl in the painting, he let out a gasp and knocked the canvas out of my hands. I should have seen this coming. He grabbed my wrist holding it beneath his eyes for inspection. The words  _'I think you're my soulmate'_  were etched into my skin in distinct handwriting alongside a marking declaring me a muse. I was born with both marks as was everyone. The first was my soulmate marking which consisted of the first words my soulmate would say to me written in his handwriting. Someone out there had the first words I'd say to him written on his body, and when we met, the words would be replaced by each other's names. The second marking was my magical or nonmagical classification. As a muse, I could do almost anything imaginable with my voice. The only problem was that anything beyond singing a nonmagical song drained much of my energy. Just lifting Paul up into the tower had me winded like I had run a mile. Paul let out a sigh of relief when he saw the my soul mark was unchanged and I didn't have someone's name written on my arm.

I glanced down at the girl in the painting of Mary and tried to laugh off his assumption as a joke. "No, darling, she's not my soulmate. She's just an old friend." I didn't want to tell Paul that I was gay and my soulmate would likely be another man. He was gay himself so he wouldn't judge me, but now that I was of age, I feared he would take advantage.

"Old friend?" Paul scoffed, "You have no friends. When I found you, you had no one besides your dumb cat."

Delilah hissed, but I held up a hand to keep her from clawing Paul. While Paul would never hurt me because he needed me just as much I needed him, Delilah was never truly safe around him. As a demon Paul had to kill to keep himself alive and he always eyed Delilah like she was just another one of his sacrifices. The only reason he didn't murder her was to please me. I was fooling myself to believe otherwise.

I rarely spoke of my past with Paul. As he was the one who rescued me, he knew most of what the scientists did to me. Now, however, I had to divulge into something that he may not have been aware of. "When they discovered I could break curses with my voice, they brought in people for me to save. It was very tiring but I managed, and I really did want to help everyone even if it was killing me in the process. There was one couple who had made a deal with a witch. They bargained to go deaf for the rest of their lives if their dying baby girl could live. My singing brought their hearing back while still allowing their daughter continue to live a long healthy life. Their daughter..." I smiled as I recalled Mary sneaking into the lab to visit me despite not receiving clearance, "She became my friend."

Showing very little sympathy for my story, Paul demanded, "Why did you decide to paint her?" He had every right to be possessive over me considering how cherished I was in the civilization, but I didn't appreciate him micromanaging my every move like this. "Why does it matter? I'll never see her again. You have my word that I'll stay in this tower for the rest of my life."

I ignored Delilah's outraged mewls. At the end of the day, this was what was best for me. If I ventured outside, I would either be killed on site by another demon who resided in the outskirts like Paul or captured by a hunter and dragged back to the civilization to be poked and prodded by scientists again. Those were my two options. The only thing Paul made me do was sing a special song that would temporarily stifle his urge to kill. Yes, it was draining, but it was nothing compared to what the scientists forced me to do. In return Paul kept me safe from the other demons prowling the outskirts as well as the hunters who journeyed into the outskirts to kidnap muses and other magical creatures. In addition, Paul ensured that I was clothed and fed, and he gave me everything I asked for.

Paul lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. "I don't want you painting pictures of anyone other yourself, me or your cat. Do I make myself clear?"

"Loud and clear, darling." I replied.

"Excellent." Paul removed his hand from my face and clapped his hands together, "Now let me prepare all this meat into a stew."

I tried not to gag as Paul unveiled several murdered forest animals ranging from deer to rabbits and prepared the stovetop. Delilah jumped into my lap to comfort me knowing how much I hated needless suffering. After spending nearly ten years with a demon, I still wasn't used to Paul's lack of compassion for all walks of life. I focused on Delilah and forced myself to be playful with her to take my mind off of Paul's sacrifices. "I win! You're not on my piano anymore." I teased, gently flicking my fingers through her whiskers. She hissed and flicked her tail in retaliation.

"Say the word and I'll drop her in the pot with the rest." Paul said. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but I couldn't imagine my precious Delilah being boiled alive and then eaten. "Is that enough to make you cry?" Paul snickered noting the tears running down my cheeks, "It's a good thing you have me here to take care of you. You're much too soft to survive in this world."

"I survived for fifteen years on my own before you took me in." I reminded him. Surviving was the right word as it certainly wasn't living. Even now I didn't consider whatever this was to be a life.

' _You survived because you had me.'_  Delilah mewled.

"Not for the first ten years." I sighed, petting Delilah's soft fur and recalling the moment we met. In hindsight it was the best thing that had ever happened to me, but that didn't make the moment any less horrifying.

' _"Subject survived injection of liquid mercury into the bloodstream. It's confirmed he can heal himself from any injury or disease through the power of song..."_

_Ignoring the pain, I shut my eyes and attempted to fall asleep in the cage I called home. The scientist's voice droned on as he recorded my progress, but I stopped paying attention. Suddenly though, I wish I had as he ventured to my cage and opened the door. Out of habit, I backed myself as far away from the man in the white coat as I could so that my bare back was resting on the bars of the other side of the cage._

_"Relax, Freddie." He said. It was a nickname they had given me which I ironically preferred over Farrokh. "It won't be you we're hurting this time."_

_More scientists walked in and entered my cage. One of them was holding a teeny tiny kitten. I couldn't recall the last time I smiled or if I ever did smile, but I felt obliged to grin at the sweet site of the baby cat. "Look at those teeth! Trademark of any muse. So fascinating." One of the scientists noted making my close my mouth._

_"Freddie, this is Delilah." The one holding the cat leaned down and placed her in my lap, "I want you two to bond. Can you do that?"_

_I nodded. This was far too good to be true. There had to be some sort of catch. Regardless, I clung to this one light in my otherwise dark world. Delilah was so soft and so cute. I never wanted to let her go._

_"He seems attached enough to have motivation." A scientist remarked, "Let's do it now."_

_I let out a startled cry as Delilah was suddenly yanked out of my arms. "Stop!" I screamed as Delilah writhed in the scientist's firm grasp, "You're hurting her."_

_"That's the point." Another scientist replied as he brandished a butcher knife. "No!" I shouted. I tried to get up to stop them, but a scientist held me down preventing me from moving. I shut my eyes not wanting to see the sick blow. All I could hear was Delilah meowing in agony. When she was returned to me, I saw nothing but blood. Her grey fur was now coated red and she was bruised beyond recognizability. "We sliced her like a carcass. She is going to die if you don't use your powers." I was informed._

_Praying that my tears wouldn't impact my voice, I sang and didn't stop until I felt myself growing weak from my powers. The world was spinning and darkening around me. The last thing I heard was someone announce, "Subject can successfully heal animals through the power of song..."'_

_When I woke up, I was in immense pain, but I was accustomed to that. Delilah was good as new, curled against my body, purring softly. 'Thanks for saving me.' She licked my hand._

_I gasped. "You talk?" Delilah twitched her ears in shock. 'You understand?'_

_"Subject can evidently communicate with the animals he heals. We will keep him with the healed cat to observe their relationship further..."'_

I smiled down at my Delilah. We had been inseparable ever since that day, and nothing could ever change that. I rose to my feet and went to fetch the cat food noticing that we were running low. I did manage to get Delilah off the piano, so I owed her. "Paul, dear, the next time you go to the civilization, can you bring us back some tuna from the fishers' market?" I asked in the sweetest voice I could muster.

"What's wrong with the bloody cat food? I'm willing to get anything for  _you_ , Farrokh. I even managed to lug that piano up here, but I refuse to cater to Delilah's requests. She's nothing more than a dumb fucking cat and you need to stop spoiling her!"

I knew better than to point out that the piano was lifted into the tower thanks to my voice working its magic and Paul didn't even have to raise a finger. "Well we're running out of cat food, so at least get that." I said trying to maintain calm.

"That I'll do." He agreed but with a groan, "Seriously she eats more like a pig than a cat. I feel like I just got that bag of cat food and now it's almost finished."

"She's a hungry girl." I remarked and Delilah licked her lips in agreement.

"How long is a cat's life expectancy again?"

"Delilah will live as long as me." I replied, "I made sure of that years ago. When I sang to make it happen, it weakened me for many days, but it was worth it to expand her lifespan to match mine." I thought of the loneliness I'd face if Delilah were to leave this cruel world before me, and shook it out of my head. That would never happen thanks to my powers.

Paul abruptly looked away from the pot with intrigue. "Your voice is powerful enough to grant immortality? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Now he was beginning to sound like the scientists back in the civilization—always wanting to know what I could do and failing to realize how much it took out of me. "Who wants to live forever?" I drawled.

"Demons have a lifespan of five million years. I'm reaching the four millionth mark pretty soon." Paul said as he stuffed the chopped head of a rabbit into the pot, "It's definitely something to consider."

I recalled how tired I had been in the days after expanding Delilah's lifespan. I could barely get out of bed (if you called the hardened mat kept in the cage a bed). Giving someone an infinite lifespan may not led to a recovery at all. I made this point clear to Paul before he could get any ideas. "Making you immortal may just kill me, and then you'll have to find another muse to sing your special song."

"Sirens are also capable of unlocking the magic of the special song with their voices. Of course they have to sing it more frequently because their voices aren't as powerful as muses. Such a shame that muses like you are so rare."

"H-how do you know all this?" I stammered. Until now it had remained unspoken that before Paul had rescued me he either enslaved another creature to sing for him or paraded through the outskirts and killed anything and everything he could find like all the other demons. I was afraid to know the answer, but Paul didn't care about my fears. "If you think you're the first muse I've ever come across, then you're just flattering yourself." He said bluntly, "But you are one of the most powerful I've encountered in quite some time."

So I was replaceable after all. Paul could discard of me and Delilah whenever he felt like it and find a new creature to fulfill his needs. I doubted Paul even considered me as powerful as he claimed. "Even though I sing to you almost every day, you still have to kill." I gestured to all of the dead animal remains going into the pot.

Paul shrugged. "If you count animals as kills." Clearly he didn't take the lives of four legged creatures into consideration, "Let me say that if it wasn't for the special song, I wouldn't be able to survive very long on just animals. I'd need something bigger and more complex to sustain me."

' _Are you implying that we're not complex?'_ Delilah angrily mewled.

"Shut her up, Farrokh! I'm sick of all that damn meowing!"

' _Shut him up, Freddie!'_ Delilah countered.

"Both of you stop it!" I shouted, "We can all get along. Okay, darlings? Paul, you need me to keep yourself alive, so you'll want to keep me happy. In order to do that you have to be nice to Delilah. Delilah, dear, please try to put up with Paul for the sake of keeping the peace."

"Put up with me?" Paul cried, "I'm a delight. You're lucky I've taken you both in and didn't leave you to the hands of those lab rats."

"I'm very appreciative, Paul. Thank you for all that you've done for me." Those were my default words that were all too familiar and came out in an automatic flow.

"I know." he said, "Now why don't you rest go rest. I'll wake you up when supper is ready. You need your energy for tonight."

"Why?" I questioned, "What's going on tonight?"

"How could you forget? It's a full moon."

"Oh good." I remarked sarcastically, "My favorite time of the month."

Full moons triggered demons' natural instincts to kill above all else. In other words, I would have to sing to Paul all night long to stop him from going on a murderous rampage. It was fucking exhausting.

"After you fell asleep on me last month—"

"—I didn't fall asleep, I collapsed from fatigue!" I cried, "Do you know how difficult it is to use magic for hours on end with no break?"

"Don't interrupt me." Paul said sharply, "After you feel asleep on me last month and I was forced to jump from the tower and scavenge the woods for sacrifices until dawn, I decided to take some precautions. I hired someone from the civilization to bring me a shipment of animals for me to kill. He thinks I'm adopting them, but he doesn't have to know the truth. Anyway, he should be here before nightfall hopefully."

"He must be one brave idiot to be willing to come to the outskirts just to help out some orphaned animals." I muttered. With the exception of hunters, most people never left the civilization unless they were banished. It was nothing more than haunted woodlands with murderous demons running rampant. Oh and one of those demons had a tower deep in the forest where he kept his cherished muse, but other than that there was nothing out here. "How'd you convince him that the outskirts was a suitable place to raise a family of animals? Doesn't he know they'd get slaughtered by demons within minutes."

"I told him I was banished here and created a protective tower fortress where the animals could be safe." Paul explained, "I can't believe he fell for it! Hopefully he won't get murdered on the journey over here. If he does then you better not mess up and fall asleep again, Farrokh. Last month was unacceptable!"

"It won't happen again." I assured him.

"For both of our sakes, I would hope so."

I flopped down on my bed and shut my eyes, but I never actually fell asleep. Delilah sensed that I was still awake and nudge my shoulder. ' _Freddie, I'm bored. Can you sing me a song?'_ Singing nonmagical songs was effortless and proved to be one of my favorite pastimes especially when combined with the piano. I surprisingly found that I enjoyed singing much more than painting or drawing even though I excelled at both.

_"There's no living in my life anymore_

_The seas have gone dry_

_And the rain's stopped falling_

_Please don't you cry any more_

_Can't you see_

_Listen to the breeze_

_Whisper to me please_

_Don't send me to the path of nevermore..."_

"Save for you vocals for tonight, Farrokh!" Paul stopped me, "You're going to need them, my muse. There's no point in wasting them for something nonmagical."

I smirked knowing very well that I would belt my heart out when Paul wasn't around. He would throw a fit if he arrived to see me crooning loudly enough to overpower the growling of the vacuum during my weekly tower cleaning sessions. Like I said, nonmagical songs didn't require any energy and I could do it for hours. In fact, in a perfect world I would do it for a living. In the heat of the sun in front of millions of people in a crowded stadium, I could see myself standing strong and singing to all of them. Now wouldn't that be something! I'd rock the world and none of it would require any magic. The show would all come from the talent of my raw vocal abilities I was blessed with and the hard work I put behind my songwriting and performing. Of course that could never happen. With the exception of piano, my instrumental abilities were inferior. I would need to recruit talented guitarists and a drummer to support me, but I doubted anyone would ever want to form a band with an undercover muse. If I were exposed, my bandmates would either be imprisoned or banished to the outskirts, and I'd find myself right back where I started: alone in the lab. Well if I was lucky they'd continue to let me be with Delilah to maintain their "observations".

A loud crackling of thunder took me out of my thoughts. Delilah whimpered and hid under the bed. She acted tough and feisty, but at the end of the day she was just a literal scaredy cat. "Thunderbolts and lightning very very frightening..." I gasped in realization, grabbing the nearest writing utensil. I had to get these thoughts down before they disappeared. The nonsensical operatic verses of my latest personal project kept playing for me in my dreams but I'd forget them whenever I woke up much to my dismay.

"Farrokh, the stew is ready!" Paul said, setting two platters down on the table. When I refused to get up as I furiously scribbled down lyrics in a breakthrough, Paul walked over to me and snatched the paper away from me. Shit!

"What the hell is this?"

Well it was too late to hide it from him. I might as well put forth the confidence I knew my cowboy song deserved in its promotion. "It's a work of art, darling, but I don't expect you to understand it."

"Mama, just killed a man." Paul sneered, "Is this a jab at me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not everything in the world revolves around you, Paul." I was in dangerous territory, but I didn't care. Paul had struck a nerve daring to insult my latest creation.

"I don't know what this is supposed to be, Farrokh, but no good can come of it." He tore the paper in half and threw those halves over the stovetop, watching gleefully as they burned. I felt numb.

Delilah poked her head out from under the bed. ' _Aren't you going to fight back? I know how much your cowboy song means to you. You can't let him get away with destroying it!'_

"Nothing really matters." I choked, "Nothing really matters to me."

I held back my tears as I took a seat at the table with Paul. Silently, I poked through the chunks of meat with my fork, just listening to the rainstorm outside.


	2. Sleeping on the Sidewalk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian ventures to the outskirts against his better judgement and John's warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter and left comments! I hope you like where the story is going.

_Brian's POV_

"It happened again!" I woke up to the familiar sound of John's panicked shouts. "Brian! Brian, help! Please!" Rubbing the last remains of sleep out of my eyes, I immediately sat up and rushed to assist my roommate. I tore down the towel we used as a partition in between in our beds to get to him, not surprised when I saw no sign of him.

Calmly, I extended out my hand. "John, if you're here, take my hand, okay?" I felt his clammy hand grasp mine as he inhaled and exhaled, slowly flickering back into sight. "That's it." I encouraged as he gradually became visible again.

John had moved into my one bedroom flat several months ago, and since then I had gotten used to this routine. Although John claimed to have his "glitching power" under control and swallowed several magic suppressant pills on a daily basis, he still slipped up quite often. When John literally lost himself, the only way to get himself back was to physically contact someone. Holding his hand was the easiest and quickest way to ensure he'd lose his invisibility.

"A-A bad dream triggered it." John sighed, "Sorry. You can kick me out if this is too much for you to handle." He said something in this apologetic nature nearly every time he disappeared, and like always, I dismissed his concerns. "Helping you is no trouble at all. You're my friend, and I can't afford rent on my own, so even if I wanted to kick you out I couldn't."

"Yeah but you could get a normal roommate who...didn't have to...deal with this." John stammered, "I mean if anyone finds out about me, you'll get in trouble too."

I didn't want to think about what would happen if others were to find about John's powers. He was supposed to be registered in the civilization's official database for magical creatures. By helping him hide like this, I was also committing a crime, but I didn't care. I stood up for the rights of all living creatures including magical ones and animals. 

"You're not going to get exposed." I assured him, "No one would suspect a hunter to be living with an undercover magical creature." I still wasn't sure what type of creature John was because invisibility could be linked to a variety of things, but it was rude to bluntly ask "What are you?" Besides, I had a feeling John didn't want me to know. He hid his birthmarks from me. I couldn't pick up on his scent, but that could be because my natural hunter abilities were never as keen as they should be.

"Everyone knows you're a far cry from a traditional hunter, so they might suspect something." John pointed out as he started to prepare breakfast, "I mean I knew you were different from the moment we me. Not only did you not report me, but you also treated me human. I swear if you weren't kind enough to take me in, I would have run away back to the outskirts where I belong."

"For the last time, John, we've been through this. You don't belong in the outskirts. You'll die out there. Most hunters who go there never come back, and they have years of training as well as their special weapons."

John snickered when he eyed my "special weapon" resting on the chair where I kept it. The moment I constructed the Red Special as a teenager, I confirmed that I was destined for a path outside of hunting. Up until that point, I was aware that I was different from the others. For one thing, I was compassionate toward animals and chose to be a vegetarian which went against the very nature of hunting. I preferred reading over archery and although my hand eye coordination was good, I fell behind in many physical skills that should have come naturally to me. I was built very tall like most hunters, but I was too lean and lanky to succeed in a fight and usually got my ass kicked in battling practice.

My parents allowed me to carry on believing that I'd grow out of this phase when I reached every hunter's right of passage: discovery of one's special weapon. They couldn't have been more wrong to assume that. Similar to Thor's hammer, the special weapon was a material that only we could wield and call upon. Several other young hunters and I were gathered into a warehouse with various tools and materials. We were instructed to use our magic and do whatever felt natural. By the end of the day, nearly everyone had formed a deadly weapon unique to their own powers and abilities—swords, bludgeons, guns, etc. And what did I somehow manage to build? A guitar! I'm still not quite sure how that happened, but I kept the Red Special with me regardless in case I could find a proper use for it outside of music.

I dropped out of school a few years after that and studied astrophysics on my own. It was a passion I wanted to explore instead of preparing to venture into the outskirts to slay demons and kidnap magical creatures. Learning about space was far less violent but just as adventurous, so it suited me. Unfortunately, I was expected to skip University and go straight into working as a hunter, so I was barred from nearly every astrophysics program and rejected from most schools in general. When I thought I had finally caught my lucky break, I messed up the interview when asked if I would be willing to work with magical creatures as a member of the university's science department. By "work with" magical creatures they obviously meant unethically experiment on them, so I rightfully called out their draconian methods only to receive a restraining order. If I walked within a mile of the science building on that campus, I'd get arrested.

Currently, I worked at the only university in the entire civilization that didn't use its funds on legal torture or experimentation as it was called. As such, the funding was practically nonexistent and their science department was minuscule consisting of just an engineering and chemistry lab. No physics and no biology departments as of yet. I worked as a recruiter. Since it was impossible to convince people to work for so little money, the university was incredibly understaffed, so a recruiter was necessary.

Meanwhile, I was also putting my own money into a side project to preserve and protect the lives of animals and wildlife. The project had grown so large that the university president offered to support it as well. This money was in lieu of the planned natural sciences department and expansion, so I was certainly under pressure to achieve everything I set out to do. So far I successfully saved a couple hundred hedgehogs from being used for testing in a cosmetics factory. I still had a long way to go if I wanted to end animal cruelty altogether and an even longer way to go if I wanted to change the way the civilization viewed and treated magical creatures.

"We're still behind on rent." John sighed, going through our bills as he ate his eggs. I sat down and took a slice of toast. Our financial troubles could mean the end of everything. Homeless people who could not find a place to stay within six months were banished to the outskirts. My future project after saving the animals and the magical creatures was to start building homeless shelters. However I wouldn't be able to do that if I was homeless myself. "We don't have enough space for another roommate to split the cost of rent." John shook his head, no doubt petrified of the idea of living with another person. With what little room we had, one of us would have to share a bed, and I couldn't imagine bashful John doing that with anyone let alone a stranger. 

John was the type of person who wouldn't open up on his own. He needed a little push. I managed to find out that he previously had to strictly obey the rule don't speak unless spoken to, but that was all he was willing to say on the origin of his shyness. So I directly asked him in the positive and manner that had encouraged him to blossom these past few months. "Do you have any suggestions on what we should do?"

John gulped. "I know I said I was too scared to gig with you at the clubs, but we could make more money that way. People are growing bored of that dueling pianos act. We could show them up as dueling guitarists."

"We'd probably still come up short. The singers and bands get paid more. If we could find a drummer, then we could form a band." I purposefully left out the position of frontman. I didn't want John to feel intimidated by someone with an overpowering personality like most frontmen. My voice was subpar, but if I had to, I could be our lead singer. It was just a miracle to get John to agree to be a part of this hypothetical band.

I truly admired how far he had come. When I first found him sleeping on the sidewalk all those months ago, he was afraid of his own shadow and would barely even speak to me other than to mumble his words of gratitude. Thankfully, a job in engineering didn't require much interaction, and he was fairly good at it. My boss informed me that I had recruited a mathematical genius and it was hard to believe he was only nineteen years old. I knew I was making slow but steady progress because John would light up whenever we would talk about music. Eventually, I took him out of his comfort zone and brought him with me to my gigs playing guitar at night clubs. I was hoping John would get inspired and want to play his bass because he was really talented.

"Bri, I don't trust other people." John said quietly, "Especially strangers. I-If I agreed to play guitar with you, it would have to be just you and me...at least for now."

"Of course." I assured him.

"Thanks...You understand, right? It was hard enough to learn to trust you."

"Hunters do have a reputation." I acknowledged, wanting to learn more about John's past without prying. When I pushed, all I got was that he had been taken advantage of, but it was clear he didn't want to relive anything else.

"You're not like the other hunters. I know that now." John said, "Thank you."

"You don't have to keep thanking me." I said, "That's what friends do."

"N-no one has ever...been this nice to me, so I want you to know how grateful I am. So yes I do have to keep thanking you. You got me a job and you're trying to help me get my life back on track even though I'm not supposed to have a life."

"You're supposed to have a life. You deserve to have a life." I insisted, taking my final bite of toast, "Now come on. We're going to be late."

Before leaving, John popped three pills into his mouth and pocketed the bottle for more later. The nerves and shakiness were probably side effects of the magic suppressants, but John had no other choice. Outside there were magic detectors set up in nearly every corner that would go off if they detected anything nearby. When entering or exiting any public place we had to join a long line to pass directly through one of the machines to be cleared. Therefore the exterior of nearly every building in the civilization resembled airport security. For hunters and nonmagical creatures, it was just an annoyance, but for those undercover like John, it could be outright horrifying. John fortunately walked through the scanner without any problems thanks to the magic suppressants. He paused by the door waiting for me, a habit of his.

Just like I would ever day, I stepped beneath the scanner, anticipating the clearance signal.  _Beep beep beep!_ A red light flash across the top of the detector. What the hell? In the blink of an eye, I was suddenly swarmed by officers. "Show us your mark." One of them demanded while holding up a gun up to my head. I parted back my curls, revealing the hunter's birthmark on the back of my neck along with the scribbled RMT, my supposed soulmate's initials.

The officer lowered his gun. "He's clear! He's a hunter!" But I wasn't allowed to proceed. Instead I was asked to remove my coat and empty my pockets. It turned out that I had forgotten to take my keys out of my pocket and this set off the detector. "Sorry for the inconvenience, sir. Carry on."

I straightened my coat and used my hands to brush my curls back into place. John was still waiting for me by the door, but he had gone white. "Everything's okay." I assured him.

"I never saw your mark before." He whispered, "Sometimes I forget what you are because you treat me so well."

"It's really no big deal." I replied, pushing back my hair once again so he could get a better look at my birthmark. However, I regretted it when John flinched. "S-sorry." He stammered, "It's just that...well you know what that marking symbolizes for...people like me."

I should've known better. My kind searched for people like John and dragged them away from their friends and families to be tortured and abused, typically showing no mercy whatsoever. No wonder the site of the mark freaked him out. Quickly so no one would see, John swallowed another pill. I had a feeling he was starting to get addicted to them, but I didn't say anything.

"I don't plan on cutting my hair anytime soon, so you won't have to see the mark again." I assured him.

"Do you have any idea who RMT could be?" John asked out of the blue. He was probably trying to change the subject to avoid any awkwardness. I shook my head. Initials were the most common type of soulmate marking. Someone out there had BHM tattooed on their body. We weren't guaranteed to meet, but it was a possibility. I'd know when I met whoever it was because the RMT would be replaced a full name instead of just initials and my full name would appear on their skin.

"I'm going to meet my soulmate some day." John said, "But I'm not sure I want to. The first words he's going to say to me are kind of creepy and remind me too much of...Well, I don't have a choice because it's first words so we're going to meet no matter what."

"What is he going to say?" I wondered. I was always envious of those who had first word markings, which were very rare. Those soulmates were destined to meet.

"Please come out, darling. I promise I won't hurt you." John shook his head, "I won't judge him until we actually meet, but that sounds like something a serial killer would say right before he murders me."

"Well, it could be similar to the way we first met." I recalled, "When you saw me coming toward you, you ran and hid underneath a bench like a lost puppy. I probably said something along those lines to you."

"That's because your scent reeks of hunter, no offense. I was so scared that you were going to report me, and I had escaped my hell for nothing."

"I'm glad you finally learned to trust me." I didn't know what else to say. If I had been in John's shoes I also would have been terrified of any hunter who came my way.

"Well, I'll see you later." John bid me adieu and went into the engineering lab to crunch some numbers.

I ventured into my office and began to sift through the portfolios on my desk. I was supposed to recruit a new art professor by the end of the week. I was told by my boss and I quote, "try to actually find someone talented. I had to fire the last woman you brought in because she was literally color blind and had no clue what she was doing! What were you thinking, May?" The well funded but morally bankrupt universities usually snagged all the artists with potential leaving us with the leftovers. Art was subjective and I didn't want to squander anyone's skills, but my boss had a point. The portfolios I was going through were rather elementary to put it nicely.

I gasped when the phone rang. Our recruitment office never received calls. Thankfully, I had the generic greeting memorized in case this ever occurred. "Hello you've reached the recruitment office of Scaramouche University. How can I be of assistance?"

"Is this also the office of the Animal and Wildlife Preservation and Protection Program?" The man on the other end of the phone had an Irish accent.

I didn't have an official office for my animal saving project as it was mostly self funded with a little help from the outside. However, this man didn't need to know that. "Yes. The office functions as both. I'm Brian May, the program's founder. What would you like to know?" I said trying to sound as professional as possible.

"Do you have any animals up for adoption?"

"Actually we do." In a special reserve on the rooftop garden, there were about 39 baby badgers looking for a loving home, but I wasn't naive. I rescued them so they wouldn't be abused any longer. I would have to do a serious background check before handing them over to anyone. "Why are you interested in adopting animals?"

"It just gets a little lonely out here, and I could use a few companions." The man said.

"Out here?" I questioned, "Where are you located?"

"The outskirts."

I nearly dropped the phone. He couldn't be serious! No one lived in the outskirts. Well no one except for demons, the banished, and magical creatures in hiding. I assumed I was speaking to one of the latter, but either way I wasn't interested in doing business. It was just too dangerous for both me and the badgers. "Are you still there, Brian?" I considered hanging up, but I decided against it. I should at least hear him out. "Um, yeah. I'm still here. Did you say the outskirts?"

"That's right. I was banished here several years ago for saving a muse. Can you believe it? I was just trying to help him, and I got punished for it." I cringed when I realized this could easily be my fate if John ever got caught. Although he had my sympathy, something didn't seem right about this man's story.

"How were you able to survive for several years?" I didn't want to sound accusatory, but I was skeptical. From what I knew of the outskirts, it was a wasteland where demons stalked the livings' every move waiting for the perfect time to strike.

"I've picked up a bit of magic. I managed to build myself a sturdy tower enchanted by a protective charm. It's like a fortress in here. No one comes in or out without my knowledge." He explained, "I'm completely safe from all demons."

"And you think a desolate tower in the middle of the outskirts would be a good place to raise a family of badgers?"

"I have a beautiful garden at the top of the tower where the animals could live. Like I said, I've been able to sustain myself for many years, but it's the loneliness that gets to me. I just love animals, but I can't leave this tower to go see all the forest critters. They would have to come to me."

I felt sorry for him if he was telling the truth, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to help. "I don't know." I said, "I need to consider what's best for the badgers."

"What if I paid you? Name your price."

A good $400 would cover our rent for this month and ensure we wouldn't be sleeping on the sidewalk in the near future, but I couldn't get greedy. This wasn't about the money. It was about saving the animals, and I couldn't lose sight of that despite all the troubles in my way.

"I believe that the badgers will be very happy here with me." The man said, "I'll keep them safe, well fed and happy. I think they may even be better off with me in my tower than they would be in the civilization. I know what they do to animals. It's even worse than what they to do magical creatures."

That was true. I already had requests from dozens of companies to purchase my rescued animals so they could be used in product testing or outright slaughtered and incorporated into the products.

"I'll tell you what. I'll come visit you in your tower and see if it's worthy of housing badgers." I decided.

"Thank you. You'll be able to see my tower from beyond the third rock at the edge of the first thicket. You can't miss it. Can you make it here by nightfall?"

"That soon?" I cried ignoring the rather vague directions.

"I'm just very eager. It's been too long since I've had any company and I'll pay you for your troubles. We can negotiate a price when you arrive." He said.

This was the best option. I wouldn't be endangering the badgers if I inspected the tower first, and I would still get my money. I was a hunter. It was in my blood to venture to the outskirts and come back alive. How bad could it be? "Can I have your name?"

"It's Paul. Paul Prenter."

"I'll see you soon, Paul."  _'Don't make me regret this.'_  I thought as I confirmed the details one final time and hung up. I let it all sink in when the call was finished. I was going to the outskirts. What the hell did I just agree to?

***

"This is a suicide mission." John cried, "Please for the love of God, don't go."

"I'll be back by morning." I told him, "Just don't leave the flat until I'm back, alright?"

To be honest I still wasn't sure why I was doing this especially knowing that this would only be the first of two trips to the outskirts. If Paul's tower was suitable for the badgers, I'd have to return again to deliver them to their new home. I tried to make clear over the phone that I'd be coming alone tonight for an inspection, but Paul just seemed thrilled to know that I was coming. I guess I could understand his enthusiasm. He has been all alone for years on end. I'd go mad from the isolation.

"Brian, I'm serious. People don't come back from the outskirts. I can't lose the only friend I have." John protested.

"You always have Little Dipper." I said referring to our pet hedgehog. I wanted to take in more of the animals I rescued, but with the two of us confined to a one bedroom flat, we couldn't afford the luxury of multiple pets.

"W-What if I...glitch again? You'll come home and you won't be able to find me and help bring me back and I'll be stuck invisible forever...It'll be like those horrible two weeks all over again."

Every now and then John would give me glimpses of what kind of life he was forced to live. Referring to "those horrible two weeks" was another hint of what he had gone through before I found him. I didn't want to imagine what happened in those two weeks, but he was clearly traumatized by them.

"You'll be fine, John. I promise. Just try to fall asleep, and I'll be here when you wake up even if you're invisible. I'll find you and bring you back just like always."

"Wait. Don't you have a gig at the club tonight? We need that money. You should call back this Paul guy and reschedule." He grasped at straws to try to keep me here, but I wasn't having it.

"I'm not on until 2:30 in the morning. I'm sure Paul will be offering me more money than whatever the club is paying me, and no one's around at that late hour to give me tips. Either way, I'll make it back to the club by 2:30. I expect to be back shortly after midnight."

However, I needed to leave now. It was almost nightfall, and that was when Paul was expecting me. "I should get going. Like I said, don't leave the flat until I'm back, and don't open the door for anyone."

"You don't have to tell me twice." John said, "I think I might just play a little guitar and then turn in for the night."

"I'll see you in the morning." I promised.

I secured the Red Special in its case and picked it up. I was going straight from the outskirts to the club, but I had a feeling the instrument could come in handy before my gig. If it really was my special weapon then maybe it was worthwhile brining it with me to the outskirts.

"Brian, wait!" John shouted. I turned to calmly explain to him again that I was indeed coming back, but I realized that he already accepted that I had my mind made up. Instead he was handing over a bottle of magic suppressants. "Take this."

I knew how difficult the pills were to obtain. John had a forged prescription claiming he was allergic to magic. I wasn't sure how he managed to secure so many refills without doctors catching on and checking his mark to confirm he wasn't an undercover magical creature.

"There are other people like me who are hiding in the outskirts." John said softly, "I-I know because...m-my family's living there...if they're still alive anyway."

I gasped. So John did have a family after all. I assumed he was orphaned as he often spoke of how alone he was. His eyes watered with tears but he blinked them back. "If you take the pills, it'll disguise your scent so no one will know that you're a hunter. I know you would never hurt anyone, but the people in hiding might think you're like every other hunter. They might attack you because they think that you'll..."

"I understand." I pocketed the pill bottle before pulling John into a hug. He let out a startled yelp, fading slightly in my arms, but when he realized I wasn't hurting him, he reappeared and hugged back. "Thanks, Bri...for everything." He whispered.

"I'm coming back." I reiterated.

"Oh you'd better come back. I demanded a rematch game of Scrabble from the other day and you still haven't followed through with it."

"I'll still win you know." I teased, picking up the guitar again, "Take care, John."

"Be careful, Bri. I'll see you in the morning."

John and I shared a car although I drove more than he did because the car was technically mine. It was a camouflage four-wheel drive Jeep reminiscent of a military vehicle. One good thing about being a hunter was that I didn't have to worry about paying for car maintenance and upkeep including gas. I was given a credit card specifically designated for car purposes as an incentive to drive deep into the outskirts in search of fleeing or hiding magical creatures. The Jeep was made to withstand the terrain of the wilderness. I swallowed a magic suppressant pill and then I was well on my way to the border.

By the time I reached the checkpoint, the sky was darkening and it was starting to drizzle. Thunder crackled in the distance. Perhaps the rain would keep the demons away. I viewed it as a positive thing and kept on my journey. As to be expected, no one was in line to leave the civilization. A large sign depicting all the risks of leaving was displayed against the electric fence. Even with my windows rolled up I could still hear speakers overhead verbally blasting the warnings. Basically I was leaving at my own risk, and the civilization was not liable if I was slain by a demon, attacked by a magical creature, or injured in any sort of manner. I parked the Jeep and got out so I could step through the magic detector and sign a few waivers.

"You're good to go." The armed officer said, pressing a button to unlock the fence, "God's speed."

"I must be crazy for doing this." I muttered to myself as I got back into the car. With a deep breath, I shifted into drive and pulled forward. When the electric fence slammed shut behind me like the closing of a coffin lid, the situation felt more real. I was officially in the outskirts and there was a 90% chance that I'd be dead by the end of the night.

"Do it for the badgers." I told myself and continued to drive into the ominous dark forest that stretched ahead of me. I had written down the directions Paul had given me, but they weren't very helpful when I was driving through a deep thicket in which everything looked exactly the same. The rainstorm looming above the canopy of trees further hindered my visibility in the darkness. I considered turning back, but figured that I had made it this far.

Eventually, a tall tower came into view, poking above the trees. As I drove closer I was able to get a better look. It had a medieval style being constructed completely of bricks, but the one glaring design flaw was its lack of doors. The tower consisted of a single window overlooking a small balcony at the very top. There was no sign of the garden that Paul had described. If anything this tower resembled more of a prison than a home. I should have realized that I had been duped, but instead I was dumb enough to honk my horn to get the attention of whoever was residing inside. Putting the Jeep in park, I stepped outside and stood at the foot of the tower, deeply regretting not bringing an umbrella on this adventure. Soon I wasn't concerned about the pouring rain showering down on me because there was a sound much stronger than the roaring winds of the storm. It was a haunting voice, singing a chilling song. When in the presence of the sound, I could do nothing but stand perfectly still and listen as if I were hypnotized.

_'Wither and decay..._

_End this destiny,_

_Break these earthly chains,_

_And set this spirit free._

_Take what has been hurt,_

_Grant them no mercy,_

_Bend and break the reigns,_

_And set this spirit free..._

_This spirit free.'_

"AGAIN!" Someone shouted. I couldn't be sure but the Irish accent was similar to Paul's.

_'Wither and decay...'_

"Wait!" The same Irish voice interrupted the start of the repeated song, "I think our guest has arrived. Bring him up."

Before I could realized what was happening, I was suddenly being lifted up off the ground by a powerful source of wind fighting against that of the storm, but the only thing I could hear was the mesmerizing high note. Then I was dropped onto the balcony of the tower and I could think straight again. "W-what just happened?"

I had to admit the inside of the tower was larger than it looked from the outside, but it was still quite confining, not even as large as my small flat which was only one bedroom. Somehow though everything was organized to suggest a sense of normality. There was a sleeping area, an area to paint (there were art supplies and paintings sprawled in that corner), and an area to cook and eat. In addition, there was also a piano and a bookshelf stacked high. Clearly it was livable here, but being cooped up in this tower for any longer than a day seemed maddening.

A man closed the window behind me preventing the balcony from flooding with rainwater. Well that was the innocent thing to presume. It could very well could be a means to prevent me from escaping. Only this mustached man was not alone. He was accompanied by another boy who from the looks of it had to be in his early to mid twenties like me. There was something very exotic to his look. He had long black hair with captivating dark eyes. As I acclimated myself to the tower, I was able to breathe in his scent and recognized him as a muse. Well that explained the unworldly singing and powers the voice carried.  I remembered my conversation with Paul over the phone. He told me he was banished  to the outskirts for rescuing  a muse. What he omitted was that the muse was banished alongside him. How could he be lonely when he was living with someone?

"You have beautiful hair, darling." The muse's speaking voice was very different from his singing voice. It was posh and soft, but there was a hint of weariness behind it. His eyes were so mysterious and hypnotizing that I had failed to notice the bags beneath them and the general tiredness they held. If one were to look beyond the magic and the beauty, they would see a skinny and exhausted boy in slightly better shape than John when I had first found him. I wondered if the muse had to go through similar hardships.

"Did I tell you you were allowed to speak to our guest?" Paul snapped.

Ah, so Paul was part of the problem. It was clear from that comment alone that he viewed the muse as obsequious. He turned back to me as if he hadn't just degraded the younger man. "Don't mind him." Paul dismissed, and then in one breath said, "You're Brian, I presume? I'm Paul. We talked over the phone. Do you have the animals? Where are they?"

"Slow down, darling. Give the man some time to answer all those questions. You're overwhelming him." The muse spoke again.

"Shut up, Farrokh!" Paul snarled, "I'm trying to conduct business. Why don't you go entertain yourself by painting some pretty little flowers or whatever foolish thing it is you like to do in your spare time."

"I don't conduct business with people who talk to their acquaintances like that." I stated coldly, "And I certainly don't conduct business with liars. You told me you were all alone and you wanted to adopt the  badgers for companionship."

"Oh I'm afraid he lied to you about much more than that." Farrokh said.

"Damnit! If you don't shut your mouth this instant, I'm going to do something I'll regret." Paul shouted darkly.

A cat emerged from beneath the bed, meowing at nothing in particular. Farrokh laughed, but Paul was not amused. "And put a fucking muzzle on that thing already!"

"I've certainly seen enough to know that you're not fit to be a proper pet owner." I spoke up, "I would never leave my badgers with someone who degrades others the way you do."

The cat meowed some more and Farrokh nodded. "She likes you, darling, and I think I do as well. It's been so long since Paul let us have guests over...It usually doesn't end well." He turned to Paul with a somewhat pleading look. "Maybe this visit will be better than the others?"

As if to contradict Farrokh's request, Paul reached for his rifle and pointed it at me. I put my hands in the air and slowly backed toward the window. "Look, I'll just forget everything I saw and be on my way." I said trying to stay calm, "It doesn't have to be like this."

"It's nothing personal." Paul replied and pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million apologies for that cliffhanger!!! I'll try to post Chapter 3 soon which will be another Freddie chapter. We'll learn more about Deaky soon and Roger will show up as well. By the way the song Freddie sings is the Incantation song from Tangled The Series. Let me know what you think so far! Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


	3. Down in the Civilization Just You and Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian helps Freddie escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long chapter! I was not expecting it to turn out this long. Enjoy and feel free to comment and Kudos. I love hearing from you!

_Freddie's POV_

"What the fuck, Paul?" I screamed.

Paul sucked in a deep breath, his skin glowing as he fed off of the man's death. He eyes were bright red as he looked back at me with a smirk, licking his lips. "He didn't bring the animals, and I refused to let him leave without getting a good kill." Like a snake he hissed, "Ssooo, ssso very good."

"You're sick you know that!" I cried.

"I'm a demon. What do you expect?" He shook off the intoxication, his eyes reverting back to their normal dark color. "Do you smell that?"

"Blood and a rotting corpse?" I scoffed.

"Death reveals all, Farrokh. Take another whiff. This man was a hunter. He was concealing his scent with magic suppressants."

Hesitantly, I inhaled his scent masked beneath the coppery smell of gushing blood. Paul was right. Our deceased guest was a hunter. His scent confirmed it, but I didn't want to believe it. He had stood up for me and Delilah and called out Paul's wicked ways. Could that have been a ruse? I knew better than to trust a hunter, but this man seemed so different than most hunters.

"Well it looks like I've done you a favor. He would've tried to take you right back to the civilization." Paul said as he opened the window letting in a rush of rainwater.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I got a taste of murder on a full moon. The special song won't be enough to suffice my appetite. Take the night off, Farrokh. When I come back, I expect the hunter's body to be chopped up and put in the garbage disposal. If not, there will be trouble." Paul jumped down from the balcony in a crazed frenzy. A twisted part of me wanted him to fall to his doom, but I scolded myself for wishing something like this onto my caregiver. Like cats, demons always landed on their feet.

Speaking of cats, Delilah was nesting herself in the dead man's beautiful curls. ' _So soft.'_  She purred. ' _Freddie, can you heal him?'_

"I probably could. He hasn't been dead very long." If he wasn't a hunter, I would do it in a heartbeat. However, I feared what he would do to me once he recovered. Paul wasn't here to protect me. I'd be completely powerless, and I could very well find myself back in the lab. 

' _I think we can trust him!'_ Delilah mewled, ' _And I'm not just saying that because he has great hair. He seemed so friendly and genuinely concerned about the well being of his badgers.'_

"I suppose he'll owe me after I save him. Hunter or not no decent man would betray someone who revives them." I made up my mind.

I crouched down beside the slain man and took in a deep breath. I was weak from singing Paul's special song and bringing the hunter up into the tower, so this would make my task even more difficult than normal. Recovery would not be fun. "If I wake up in the lab, I'm blaming you Delilah." I said before delving into a healing song that consumed all of my energy. I forced myself to stay awake and continue to sing until the blood seeped back into the man's chest and he took in a breath. My eyes shut as his fluttered open.

When I came to, the first thing to enter my conscious realm was pain as to be expected. I kept my eyes shut, focusing on the cushy feeling beneath me and the soft warmth around me. There was no way I was back in that barren cage I assured myself before blinking open my eyes. Sure enough, I was lying in bed, cocooned beneath layers of sheets and blankets. Why would the hunter take time to do tuck me in so preciously like a small child? Surely it would have been easier to leave me passed out on the floor.

The scent was much stronger now that it wasn't blended with blood and decay. There was no denying that I was in the presence of a hunter. Afraid to look at the man I saved, my eyes instead darted toward the piano where of course Delilah had made herself comfortable again.

I was caught off guard when I heard a voice ringing in my head other than Delilah's. How could it be her when she was fast asleep. I tried to block out the sound of the hunter's thoughts too terrified to know what dark things could possess the mind of someone whose soul purpose was to cause people like me a life of agony. Curiosity got the best of me.  _'He's awake. What should I do? Should I offer him water or something?'_ His inner voice was so kind and sweet much like his soft speaking voice.

"Water would be nice." I said my voice slightly hoarse, "But Paul keeps the whiskey and brandy in that pretty cabinet down there. I could use something stronger for the pain."

"D-did you just?" The hunter stared at me flabbergasted.

"Read your mind." I stated it bluntly, chuckling as he gasped. "What did you think was going to happen when I healed you? You don't just walk away from that without any side effects."

' _So you can hear me?'_ he asked mentally. His eyes grew wide when I nodded in confirmation. Why was this so shocking? Wasn't it common knowledge? I would have assumed that the scientists published all their findings on me. Otherwise why the hell was I being held in captivity and studied?

"How come I can't hear you?" He questioned.

"Because I did all the work, darling. I didn't see you putting in any effort to revive yourself. It was all me. How about you heal me and then we'll see what happens?" I challenged.

' _He saved my bloody life, and I just demand to know why I can't read his mind. Why haven't I thanked him yet? That should've been the first thing out of my mouth instead of just offering him water. Wait I never offered him water out loud...'_

"You think too much, dear." I laughed, "And you don't have to thank me. You can show your gratitude by returning to the civilization and not telling any of your hunter buddies that I'm here."

' _How does he know I'm a hunter? I thought the pills John gave me would hide the scent. Oh God! Farrokh probably thinks I'm going to kidnap him and take him to the civilization to be experimented on. He must see me as a monster!'_

"It's Freddie actually." I interrupted his trailing thoughts.

"W-what?" He was caught off guard by my invasion of his mind.

"Only Paul calls me Farrokh. My friends...well my one friend calls me Freddie."

"Freddie." He repeated.  _'Less exotic than to be expected, but I think it suits him...'_

I soon grew bored with the hunter's over analysis of my name and mannerisms and got up to fetch the alcohol myself. On the way to the cabinet, I stopped by my piano. I reached toward Delilah's sleeping form to pick her up off the cherished instrument, but her eyes snapped open and she hissed. ' _I'm napping!'_

"Not on my piano." I said sternly.

Delilah clawed at me as I picked her up and placed her on my bed. She hissed at me, but I wasn't in the mood to put up with one of her attitudes. "Delilah, behave yourself!" I scolded, "That is no way to act in front of our guest. What kind of impression are you trying to make?"

' _Our guest owes you his life, so if he doesn't want to deal with me, then he can go fuck himself.'_ She replied making me gasp. "Such language!" Delilah was always so cranky when she woke up from her naps, but I didn't expect the profanity.

' _You curse all the time.'_ Delilah reminded me.

"You have me there." I acknowledged, "What are we fighting about again?"

"Freddie," The hunter's voice interrupted my conversation with Delilah, "just how long have you been in this tower?"

"Um...I think it'll be ten years in September."

' _A decade! He's lost it. That's why he's talking to cats.'_

"Oh no dear, I can assure you I'm not mad. I also healed Delilah, so I can understand her. I hear her voice in my head the same way I hear your thoughts."

' _I think you're very slightly mad.'_ Delilah undermined. "Well he doesn't have to know that." I whispered.

"How do you keep from going mad?" The hunter wondered, "I can barely stand being cooped up in my flat, and I'm free to leave any time I want. I'm not a prisoner."

"I paint. I work on my music. I drink."  _'I cry.'_  I thought, grateful that he couldn't read my mind as I would never admit that out loud. "Delilah also tells excellent ghost stories to pass the time. She's lived six of her nine lives already so she can teach me a lot."

"What about those books?" He gestured to my bookshelf, "Surely you must read a lot. That's what I think I would do with my time."

I shrugged. "I've read them all at least once, but they're a bit of a bore. I've never been too much of an avid reader. Paul offers to bring me more books, but I just ask him for more paints or another instrument. I've been meaning to pick up guitar, but Paul's been hesitant to bring me any new instruments after I convinced him to bring me the piano. I'm still working on a way to get him to agree without him lashing out."

"Why do you stay with Paul?" The hunter blurted.

Wasn't it obvious? He of all people should know what would happen to me if I dared to leave this tower. Besides, I wasn't prepared to explain the complicated relationship I had with my caregiver to a stranger, let a lone a hunter. He wouldn't understand that Paul and I needed each other in order survive. "That's a very personal question, darling."

"You're right." He apologized.

"I don't even know your name yet." I realized, but I regretted saying that. Sure, this man didn't look at me with disgust the way most hunters would, but I couldn't be fooled. There was no way he'd ever allow me to address him on a first name basis. He'd make me call him sir.

"Brian May."

Or Brain May. "Freddie Mercury." I reintroduced myself this time formally shaking his hand. I couldn't believe I was actually shaking hands with a hunter. Was this normal? Did hunters even bother introducing themselves to magical creatures before stabbing them in the back? No, none of this was normal.

"So what's it like being able to communicate with a cat?" Brian asked, "I love animals, and it would be a real joy to know what they're thinking."

' _I think I want to play in your hair like it's a big ball of yarn.'_ Delilah mewled making me laugh. "She's thinking about your hair." I translated, "We both really like it. Is it naturally curly like that or do you style it?"

"It's natural. I don't do much to it, just brush through it at least once a day."

"You are so lucky." I drawled. It took so much work for me to keep up my hair's lustrous body and shine, but Brian didn't have to do a thing to achieve his perfect curls. Seriously, there wasn't a curl out of place. How did he do that? Was it magic?

"You have a very unique style." Brian noted my flowing white shirt resembling a paper fan and matching white pants. "Do you ask Paul to shop for you?"

"No." I laughed at the speculation. Paul wouldn't even know where to begin if he had to shop for something in my taste. "I manifest my own outfits." I clarified.

"You sew?" Brian asked his eyes curiously scanning the tower.  _'Odd. I don't see any needles or spinning wheels. Does he keep it with his paint supplies?'_

I rolled my eyes. "Did I say that, darling? No, I don't sew. I use magic." When Brian still flashed me a quizzical look, I decided that he needed a demonstration. I belted out a powerful low note, focusing on my feet and creating a pair of fitted white sneakers to go with my outfit. It was the one magical thing I could do with my voice that didn't take up any energy. I considered it to be just a natural talent like my non magic singing voice. I didn't have to worry about wasting precious closet space because my fabricated clothes would disintegrate the moment I shed them. It was a truly practical gift.

"Brian, darling, you're pale. Am I scaring you?" The notion was ridiculous. How could I be scaring a hunter? It was supposed to be the other way around. He should have come charging at me with a gun or a sword or some medieval torture device. I'd never heard of an unarmed hunter before. Yet, Brian stood before me weaponless.

"I've never seen anything like this." Brian marveled reaching down to touch my shoes to confirm that were real.

"Well I'm just full of surprises, my dear." I remarked taking a shot of whiskey. "Where are my manners? Would you like something to drink? How about a smoke? Cigarettes go great with brandy." I wanted to offer him fine wine and caviar, but I had to make do with what I had.

' _Why would Freddie ever smoke?'_ Brian silently judged as I casually slid a cigarette into my mouth, ' _His voice is literally magical. Does he know what harm he's doing every time he lights up?'_

"There's a lot that you don't know about me." I stated coldly. It was probably better that I kept it that way. Brian was nice and all, but I still wasn't sure if I could trust him.

"It has nothing to do with you, Freddie. It's a proven fact. Smoking screws up your lungs and causes cancer." Brian insisted.

"I can sing that off." I dismissed, "It's easier to heal myself than to break the addiction." I said too much. A muse capable of curing cancer was too valuable for him to pass up. If Brian brought me back to the civilization, he'd become one of the most famous hunters out there.

I shuddered remembering how I was forced to smoke hundreds of cigarettes a day in order to give myself cancer. The recovery was brutal, but while I did cure myself like the scientists had wanted, the nicotine addiction followed me to this day.

"I'm just saying that it's bad for you even if you can cure yourself. It clearly causes you pain to use your healing powers, so why do you want to put yourself in that position?" Brian lectured.

I took another shot of whiskey hoping to get myself drunk. It was very difficult to reach that threshold, but I'd done it once or twice. "Have you ever seen a drunk muse, May?" I wondered, "Now  _that_ is something that will take your breath away." It was in that sweet spot of extreme intoxication that I was able to reach my fullest potential as I was too inebriated to sense much of my pains or limitations. It was numbing but blissful nonetheless. "Of course I'd have to drink through the entire cabinet to reach that point, and Paul would be furious if I did that."

"Why do you torture yourself like this, Freddie? You don't need to stay here with him." Brian said. 

"You know nothing of what I need." I scoffed.

"Maybe, but I know what you deserve and it's not this. No one deserves this kind of life. It's not even a life. You could do so much better." Brian argued.

This hunter needed a wake up call. It was time to give him a dose of my tormented reality. "Let's go through my other options, shall we?" I ventured, "It's death by demons or torture by scientists. Pick your poison. Now tell me how much fucking better my life could be, darling!"

"There's another choice, but you'll have to trust me." Brian pleaded, "I know you don't have much reason to, but I can help you. I  _want_ to help you."

' _You should hear him out.'_ Delilah purred, ' _I think he's being genuine.'_

I swallowed another shot of whiskey. "I'm listening. Tell me how you think you can help?"

"You take a few of these," Brian said taking a bottle of magic suppressants out of his pocket, "and come back with me to the civilization."

I threw the shot glass at his head. He ducked just in time, and it shattered against the wall. "You think I'm bloody stupid, don't you? Why would I ever follow a hunter into the civilization willingly?" I shouted.

Brian responded to my outrage nonverbally proving his genuineness.  ' _I won't let them take you away to be treated like a science project. I might be a hunter, but it wasn't by choice. I would never stand for cruelty or abuse of any kind on any living creature. The suppressants will mask your scent and disarm the sensors. You'll make it past all the magic detectors and I'll get you over the border safely. I've seen it happen. Magical creatures can fool the system and live in the civilization undercover. Listen to me, Freddie. I can't hide my intentions because you can hear my inner most thoughts. I want to help you. I want to give you a normal life.'_

"And what if I say no?" I tried, "Will you leave or are you going to force me to come with you?"

"I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do." Brian said, "But I know you'll be miserable if you stay here with Paul."

' _He has a point.'_ Delilah contended, ' _I think you should go with him, Freddie. What other chance will you get to escape? Paul would never give you magic suppressants because he wants to keep you here forever.'_

"No." I corrected her, "Paul would never give me magic suppressants because he knows that returning to the civilization is suicidal. He was the one who found us in that fucking hell hole. Do you remember the very first thing I said to you when he brought us to this tower and we were finally free?"

' _We're never going back.'_

"That's right. I meant it. We're never going back. They're not going to lock me in a cage and tie me down and..and..." I realized I was crying before I could continue. "I-I can't go back there." I sobbed, "You can't make me go back there!"

Delilah leapt into my arms, purring softly, licking away the tears. She used to do this after every experiment to comfort me. "We're never going back." I repeated.

"I'm so sorry." Brian whispered.

"You should leave."I told him, "There's no saying when Paul will be back, and if he sees you're alive, there will be trouble for both of us."

"You don't have to live this life." Brian said again, "I can get you a job as an art professor."

"Out of the question!" I cried, "I know how these things work. The biology lab was located just outside of the music hall. They fucking sang over my screams."

' _Not only that but they sang off key.'_ Delilah recalled.

It was true but I ignored her comment for now. "Even if I do manage to fool the system as you put it, I refuse to bring myself to be mindlessly painting 1001 yellow daffodils with a group of callous students while there are other magical creatures being tortured right below our noses. I don't know how you sleep at night, Brian."

"I don't." He admitted, "I work at the only university in the civilization that doesn't fund legal torture, and I still feel guilty. I try to help out however I can, but I can't seem to make the difference I want."

' _I believe him.'_ Delilah mewled.

"I do too but that doesn't mean we're taking this chance. It's just too dangerous." I told her.

"I understand." Brian sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, dear." I said, "If anything I should apologize to you. I can read your mind, but I still assumed you had disgusting intentions. I'm afraid I can't escape my prejudice. I've been predisposed to flee from hunters and view them as monsters similar to the demons. You proved me wrong and showed me that there's still hope. I'll always live for tomorrow."

"Don't lose that optimism, Freddie. One day things will be different and you won't have to live like this anymore." Brian said.

I approached the window. "It stopped raining." I noted as I opened it and stepped onto the balcony. Brian followed. "Wow!" He stared up at the night sky in wonder, "You have a perfect view of the stars!"

Entranced by the twinkling lights, I gazed up in awe. "They sure are beautiful. Somewhere in that shelf I have a book listing out all the constellations. I'm not sure why I never tried charting them."

Much to my surprise, Brian was able to identify nearly every star without having to think about it or reference my book. He was able to recite facts about the stars as well. Mostly science talk that I couldn't understand, but some of it was rather fascinating.

"How do you know all this, dear?"

"I'm an astrophysicist, or at least I want to be." Brian said, "I was barred from every university program in the civilization for various reasons, so I went to the library and studied on my own."

"You would've made a good scientist. I could see you in a white coat along with my captors telling them to fuck off and treat me decently like the way you talked back to Paul. That's probably why you were blacklisted though." I presumed.

"Hunters aren't expected to enter fields of academia. My peers thought I was strange when they would engage in mock battles to prepare themselves for the outskirts, and I would go to the library and read."

"Your peers are a bunch of blundering buffoons. It seems like you're the only person in the civilization who's well read enough to be versed in the branch  of philosophy known as ethics."

"Sometimes I feel that way as well, but I'm not alone." Brian sighed. He scratched the back of his neck. "I have a soulmate out there somewhere and I take comfort in that."

' _I think you're my soulmate.'_ The words were still tattooed on my arm. I knew that I would never find my somebody to love if I stayed in this tower for the rest of my life. We were destined to meet someday otherwise I would just have initials on my arm or worse nothing at all. Perhaps we were supposed to meet even earlier but I prevented it be being so stubborn.

Delilah was right. This wasn't as bad as the laboratory but it was still another circle of hell. I should've left a long time ago. Now Brian was giving me that chance to escape. All I had to do was take a leap of faith.

"Promise me you'll do everything you can to keep me safe." I whispered.

' _Keep him safe? From Paul? From the demons? I'm not sure I can do that.'_

"Don't be daft, Brian. I mean keep me safe from the other hunters and whoever else might suspect that I'm undercover."

Brian perked up. "Does this mean you're coming with me?"

"Not until you promise me. You'll do everything in your power to keep me out of a laboratory. Say you promise, darling."

"I promise." Brian said, "I'll keep you safe, Freddie. You won't regret this."

"I have a feeling I might." I said hesitantly.

' _You won't.'_ Delilah purred, ' _I'll be by your side the entire time.'_

 _"_ Of course you will. I wouldn't agree to this otherwise." I turned to Brian, "I'm not going anywhere unless Delilah comes with me. That is my one condition."

' _We'll find a way to make space for her. I'm sure she'll get along fine with Little Dipper. Although I might have to do some research on the cohabitation of cats and hedgehogs.'_ Brian thought.

 _"_ You have a pet hedgehog? That's adorable. I can't wait to meet him."

' _How does Freddie know about Little Dipper. I never told him about—Oh right. Freddie, give me some privacy please. It's kind of creepy to have you poking around in my head like this.'_

"Get used to it because we're going to be living together. Now tell me more about this job offer. I've never really taught before."

Brian examined some of my paintings. "Believe me, you're overqualified for the job. I'll just put some of these in a portfolio and present it to my boss and you'll be hired on the spot."

"I know I'm a good artist, but that doesn't mean I'll be a good teacher." I explained, "I don't know the first thing about teaching."

"It's an art class, Freddie. You don't have to lecture or anything like that. You just have your students paint something and then critique their work. It's not rocket science."

"And you would know a thing or two about rocket science." I established.

Brian began to collect my paintings and art supplies. "Is there anything else you'd like to bring with you?"

"My music." I said gesturing to the papers scattered next to the canvases, "I know I can't bring the piano with me but—"

"—I'll get you a keyboard." Brian didn't even hesitate, "It's easier to afford and won't take up as much space. How does that sound?"

Mentally he couldn't hide his conflict. ' _How the hell am I going to afford a keyboard? I broke the bank buying John a guitar. I want Freddie to be happy in his new life so I might have to make some sacrifices...'_

"I can get by without a piano." I assured him, "You don't need to go wasting what little money you have on my desires. You're already agreeing to take me in and that's already too much."

"It's no trouble at all, Freddie. Besides you'll be making an income from your new job so you can chip in for rent."

"And you're forgetting that I only need to go shopping to get inspiration for new styles to manifest. I'll save a fortune right there." I justified. Knowing how flamboyant my designs could get, I estimated that my daily wardrobe would cost hundreds of dollars.

 _'Thank goodness for that.'_ Brian thought, ' _I have a feeling Freddie would throw a fit if I made him share my clothes to save money.'_

"Oh no!" I cried, "You're so much taller than me. Your clothes would fall right off they'd be so baggy." Then I remembered I was wearing my batwing shirt that baggily hung across my chest to create the aesthetic desire. It was a stylistic choice, but I realized how hypocritical I sounded. Thankfully Brian didn't take offense. How could a hunter be so considerate? He was certainly no ordinary hunter.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know before we get going?"Brian asked, "I might not be able to answer your questions once we're in the civilization because people might overhear us and we don't want to get reported."

We? I forgot that Brian would be jeopardizing his safety as well when he agreed to this insane plan. If he was caught helping me, he could get arrested. However, it wasn't the civilization residents on my mind right now.

"What if Paul tracks us down? He threatened to cage me like the scientists did if I ever tried to leave him. _"_

"We won't let that happen. He won't find us." Brian dismissed my concern, but the threat still lingered. Paul shouldn't be underestimated. Brian should know that as he was murdered by the demon.

"Ready Freddie?"

I took one final look around my tower that I had been calling home for nearly a decade. I knew of no other comforts beside cold cage bars. Leaving this sanctuary behind was a risk that I never imagined I'd be willing to take. It was time to start a new chapter in my life and hopefully this story would have a happier ending.

"Let's fucking do this!"

I ran from the balcony, jumping down from the edge like a sky diver allowing the feeling of gravity to take over. I let out my voice as I tumbled from the tower using my magic to safely float down. My white sneakers were dirtied by the muddied grass beneath my feet but I hadn't a care in the world. I was finally free! The adrenaline from my liberation distracted me from how weakened I truly felt.

"Delilah!" I called up to the cat. She fearlessly jumped from the edge of the balcony, landing securely in my arms.

' _I'm so proud of you.'_ She purred.

 _"_ Do you want me to jump?" Brian shouted.

"You don't have to." I yelled back.

I was tired, but my magic was still just as effective as always. I sang out a high note laced with magic. It quivered with my amusement as Brian gasped in shock when he was catapulted from the tower against his will. I ensured that he landed in his feet directly next to me.

The adrenaline was now starting to ware off and I could feel myself slipping into exhaustion. Between Paul's special song, healing Brian, and now this, I was reaching the brink of my limitations. The last time I had used this amount of magic in such a short timespan was in the lab.

I tried to walk to the car, but my legs had become jellylike. They gave way beneath me. My beautiful white flowing garment and pants were stained by the slushy grass eroded by the rainstorm. "Shit!" I attempted to get up again on my shaky legs, but Brian came to my aid. He carried me to the car and buckled me in. Delilah sat on my lap.

"Swallow some of the pills and then just relax. I know this took a lot out of you, but it will be worth it." Brian handed me a water bottle so I could swallow the magic suppressants more readily. The liquid was warm from staying in the car for so long, but I didn't complain. It felt so very good to just let my eyes shut and relax my body.

"You're a saint, Brian May." I slurred falling into a deep sleep.

***

' _Freddie, wake up!'_ Delilah was frantically meowing in my face. ' _Its an emergency. Get up!'_

I was still in the Jeep, and we were zooming through the thicket at a fast pace that seemed to contradict Brian's careful and gentle nature. "I did not expect you to be such a reckless driver." I remarked. Maybe his soulmate would have a passion for joyrides.

"I'm not. We're being chased." Brian stated matter of factly.

Through the rear view mirror I was able to see the lustful red eyes of a demoness high on a killing spree. Unfortunately I was very familiar to the frenzied state the demoness was in thanks to my exposure to Paul. There was no way to reason with her. She just had a single intention: murder. Her skin emitted an otherworldly glow as she frantically licked her bright red lips. She was catching up to us!

"Didn't you train for this sort of shit in hunting school?" I cried.

"I told you I went to the library during battle practice. I'm a bookworm not a predatory hawk." Brian shouted.

"Metaphors won't really help us in this situation, darling. Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve? I'm not sure I have enough energy to use my magic against her and it's hard to bring myself to hurt other creatures even demons."

"Don't, Freddie." Brian warned, "If you use your powers, it will counteract the magic suppressants and you'll be detected at the border."

"If I don't do anything, we won't make it to the border. I've seen demons in action. She's going to flip over the car, break the window and crawl in. Then she'll rip our throats out and eat our hearts for good measure."

"I have an idea that might just be mad enough to work." Brian said.

Much to my horror, he put the car in park and rolled down the windows. "Are you trying get us killed?" I shrieked.

"Trust me." Brian said as he reached in the back seat to get a guitar case. In any other sense, rock and roll was my savior, but it couldn't offer much help in this situation. The demoness approached the open window. Delilah timidly whimpered, hiding herself between the flaps of my shirt. We were going to die! I shut my eyes, preparing for the strike of the demoness.

"Please work." I heard Brian whisper. Then there was a guitar riff, but its sound was more than just normal music. There was magic intertwined with it, the same magic I could harness in my voice. I opened my eyes in time to see the electric volts travel from the strings of the red guitar lighting up the night sky and shocking the demoness. She was launched backward from the sudden electrical surge.

"What the fuck?" I shouted, "Why didn't you tell me you had a magical guitar?"

"Well, I'm just full of surprises, my dear." Brian echoed my words from earlier.

 _'My hero.'_ Delilah purred jumping from my lap into Brian's. She nuzzled herself again his chest tilting her head to demanded a scratch behind the ears. I could understand her, but her body language spoke for itself.

"Delilah, let Brian focus. He has to get us out of here before the demoness comes back again. He can't drive very well while you're nested on his lap like that."

"I can manage." Brian said, "Let her have her fun."

"You can only get away with this kind of stuff because you're so cute, darling." I told the cat. She retorted with a sassy meow.

My entire demeanor shifted as we approached the large electric fence  and the armed guards stationed by the checkpoint in between the civilization and the outskirts. I swallowed another pill for good luck.

"Just act calm." Brian whispered, "Follow my lead. Everything will be fine." He looked me over quickly. "Where are your birthmarks?"

"On my arm." I panicked, "Is that a problem?" 

"No. Just make sure your muse marking is covered by your sleeve."

My heart was racing. "What if they ask me to show it?"

"If you don't set off the detector, they won't ask. I've seen John do it hundreds of times and he's more of a nervous wreck than you are. Double check that your pockets are empty before you pass through the scanner."

Before Brian could give me any more advice, one of the officers shined a light into the car. Brian rolled the window down. "Evening, officer." He said casually, "We're just returning from a night of hunting. We didn't catch anything unfortunately."

"I'm gonna need you to pass through the scanners. Bring your cat as well." The officer instructed.

Delilah whimpered and squirmed in Brian's arms as he stepped out of the car. "Give her to me." I whispered, taking over the task of calming her down. "Shh. Shh. It's alright, darling."

The officer shined his light right in my face, blinding me. "Sir, I need you to get out of the car. Come on! I don't have all bloody day."

"Just do what he says, Freddie." Brian said.

"We'll be okay." I whispered to Delilah, taking a shaky step out of the vehicle.

Brian passed through the scanners first and there were no surprises when he was given the clearance signal. I couldn't shake the feeling that I would set off the detectors, but I had to pretend to be confident. I stood up tall and walked through the machine as if I had nothing to worry about. I held my breath in anticipation. If the detector went off I was a dead man. I wasn't mentally prepared to return to my tormented life as a science experiment.

"You're good to go."

"W-what?" I couldn't believe it. The magic suppressants had done their trick. I was cleared and the officers didn't suspect a thing. 

"Freddie, come on! Let's go!" Brian urged. I hopped into the passenger seat unable to contain my smile as we rolled through the opening gates.

"Welcome to the first day of your new life." Brian announced.

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "I can't believe this is really happening. It's like a dream." Delilah purred in my lap. "Thank you, Brian." The words weren't enough.

"I guess you can say we're even now." He replied, "I no longer owe you for saving me."

I looked out the window taking in the sites of the bustling city. There were people on the streets. Everyone was going about their evening without stopping to consider how lucky they were. Finally Brian pulled up to a parking lot overlooking a series of flats.

"I have a guitar gig tonight at a nightclub. I don't think it's the best idea to bring you there." He said, "Those magic suppressants can only work so well."

That was a wise idea. Music could trigger my magic and make my skin glow in response. I didn't want to set off any detectors. "I'll stay here with Little Dipper." I said, "And you have my word I won't leave the flat until you're back."

"That's good, but I should warn you. Little Dipper isn't the only one who lives with me. I think you'll get along fine with my roommate, John. He's very shy though and startles easily. He'll be more scared of you than you are of him." Brian said.

With the way Brian spoke of John, I expected his roommate to be a badger. He had mentioned John before both out loud and in thought. I was too exhausted to meddle in Brian's mind to get more details so I maintained my badger theory.

 _"_ Now don't expect much." Brian said as he unlocked the door to his flat, "It's not much bigger than your tower. _"_

"I'm sure it'll be perfect." I assured him, "I can't thank you enough, Brian."

"Oh, Freddie, that's okay, you don't have to—" I was hugging him before he could say anything else. It was strange being surrounded by the hunter's scent. My natural instincts were screaming at me to flee, but I stayed put knowing that my new friend posed no danger.

"Come on, Delilah. Let's go explore our new home."

 _'So exciting!'_ She mewled pushing her little body through the door.

"I should really go in and give John a heads up that we have company because he might not react well, but if I'm late for the gig I won't get paid and I'm cutting it pretty close." Brian contemplated.

"Then go." I said, "I'll take care of John." How hard could it be to handle a bashful badger?

"But he's not good with strangers." Brian warned.

"Neither is Delilah, but she fell in love with you. Trust me I can handle John. Go rock that nightclub, darling. I'm sure you're the best guitarist there."

"How can you say that? You haven't even heard me play yet." Brian pointed out.

"Oh I beg to differ. I found your performance quite  _electrifying_." I laughed.

' _That's a horrible pun and you know it!'_ Delilah mewled.

"Such a critic." I sighed, shaking my head. "Well, you have fun, Brian, and if you get stage freight just picture everyone in the audience naked. Actually do that even if you don't have stage freight. It'll spice things up and make it more interesting for you."

I laughed at Brian's dumbfounded expression in response to my sound advice. "See you later, darling."

As to be expected, the flat had the scent of a hunter lingering throughout, but it was mixed with the scent of another. I couldn't tell what kind of creature it was from the smell alone.

Delilah made herself at home, jumping up onto the table, and knocking down the Scrabble board with her clumsy paws. She eyed Little Dipper who was getting his exercise in his spinning wheel. ' _What a funny looking hamster.'_ She mewled.

"He's a hedgehog, dear, and don't you dare antagonize him. We need to be on our best behavior while Brian is hosting us."

Delilah's eats twitched. ' _Someone's watching us.'_

I turned just in time to see a silhouetto of a man, but he disappeared in a flash. I caught another glimpse of someone shakily scampering toward the bedroom, but he seemed to flicker in and out of site like a flame. At last I made out the mysterious quivering figure dive under the bed to hide from me.

Brian was right to be concerned about John. Perhaps I was wrong to send Brian away without letting John know that guests would be over. All I wanted was for him to know that there was nothing to fear.

 _"_ Please come out, darling. I promise I won't hurt you." I said gently.

A face poked out from beneath the bed and I was met with the sweetest green grey eyes that made my heart melt. Then he said a series of words that nearly killed me right then and there.

"I think you're my soulmate."

There was a tingling pinch in the side of my arm. I rolled up my sleeve. ' _John Richard Deacon'_ was now etched into my skin next to my muse marking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Deacury has arrived! Next chapter will be in Deaky’s POV and after that we’ll finally meet Roger and get to that Maylor I’ve been hinting!


	4. The Great Pretender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie and Deaky open up to each other and fall in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! Please keep it up. Heads up! This chapter is pretty dark as Freddie and Deaky share their tragic backstories with each other. Consider this your trigger warning, but there is also A LOT of fluff mixed in, so fear not!

 

_John's POV_

"Just a few more hours til Bri's back." I told myself, "Get a grip, John! You've been through worse." ' _So much worse_.' I thought. Living here these past few months spoiled me. I had gotten so used to this supposedly "normal life" as Brian put it that now spending the night alone suddenly seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I thought about my toiling times in the magic mines and the horrid year I spent with Tim. By comparison being alone in Brian's flat was actually the best thing that had ever happened to me. Still, though, I couldn't help but feel like anything could go wrong. At any moment this perfect life I was granted could all be taken away from me as easily as a flick of the wrist.

I screamed when I heard a screeching noise. What the hell was that? Had someone broken in? Was it a hunter coming to bring me to the dreaded auction house? Oh God! What if it was Tim coming to take me back to my personal hell?

I peeked my head around the corner, relieved to find that the screeching noise was coming from Little Dipper's spinning wheel. There was nothing out of ordinary. The Scrabble board had fallen onto the floor, but that was only because the cat had knocked it down. Wait a minute. We didn't have cat. Why was there a cat sitting on the kitchen table? Where did she come from? More importantly, who let her in?

A scent filled my nose which I recognized as the smell of a muse. I had never met a muse before, but I knew I wouldn't be fond of anyone who broke into people's flats. I caught a glimpse of the burglar's back before he spun around to face me. However, I was too afraid to see anymore of this intruder. I ran to my bedroom and hid under the bed like a pathetic child afraid of the dark. I felt myself flickering in and out and I tried to maintain control of my glitch for once in my life.

Things could be worse I reminded myself. It could have been Tim. I shuddered at the thought of him finding me. I was just starting to grow accustomed to my new home with Brian. I didn't want Tim to take away all that I had built up with Brian's help over these past few months. A horrifying thought popped into my mind. What if this muse was in cahoots with Tim? I shooed that notion out of my mind because it was too terrifying to think about.

I heard the footsteps of the man approaching the bed, each one thumping alongside my racing heart. I shut my eyes, praying that this muse would just go away and leave me alone.

"Please come out, darling. I promise I won't hurt you." I fell in love with the sweet posh voice the moment I heard it say those special words that I had been dreading. How silly of me to fear something like this. My soulmate spoke the truth. He would never hurt me. I felt at peace when I peered out from beneath the bed, staring up into dreamy dark eyes that swallowed me like an ocean tide.

"I think you're my soulmate." I told this stranger, and as I spoke the words, I felt more certain. I didn't just think he was my soulmate, I knew it. The warm tingling sensation on my foot confirmed it,and I knew when I looked down I'd see his full name written there beside my distorted birthmark.

Sure enough, my soulmate had my full name written on his arm alongside the muse symbol. What a beautiful muse he was with long silky black hair and high cheekbones, not to mention the cutest smile with two large front teeth poking out a bit longer than the rest. I was so lucky that this gorgeous man was mine.

Suddenly I was snapped back into reality and the nerves returned. I had to make a good first impression. This may just be the love of my life. What was I supposed to say? Well I should start with an introduction. We knew nothing about each other. "My name is John Richard Deacon and I was born on August the 19th 1951." That came out more awkwardly than I expected.

My soulmate cooed in response, saying something under his breath in that angelic voice of his about me being cuter than a badger. Then he introduced himself with my same strange wording. "I'm Freddie Mercury and I was born on September the 5th...I forget what year. I'm not even sure if that's my real birthday."

Slowly, I got out from beneath the bed. Freddie was shorter than me by a few inches, but he held himself in a manner that made him seem taller. I stared at his face, now correlating it with that of my soulmate. It was...surreal.

"Deaky." Freddie purred.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm calling you Deaky. You're much too cute for a common name like John. Deaky fits you better."

"I-I've never had a nickname before." If I didn't associate the term 'pet name' with what Tim did to me, I would have found the concept endearing. Still I liked the name Deaky. I agreed with Freddie that it fit me. How he was able to come up with a name so suiting without even knowing me proved that we were meant to be together.

"Delilah!" The grey and white cat from the table reappeared at Freddie's feet. "Come meet my soulmate, dear. I've finally found him! Isn't he adorable?" The genuine enthusiasm behind Freddie's voice made me giddy. I wanted to live up to his expectations.

"Brian's right. You are a shy little one, aren't you. You've barely said a word to me." Before I could respond Freddie continued, "That's alright though. I think it's perfectly fine if you're the quiet type. I wouldn't want you to a change a thing about yourself, darling."

"I um...wasn't expecting to meet you." I stammered. I felt myself slipping away into invisibility again so I reached for Freddie's hand to ground myself. My flickering skin reappeared, but I did not release my grip from Freddie's hand. "But now that I have met you, I'm not afraid anymore." I said, "I know that you're not like...other people that I know."

"Good." Freddie said, "Delilah may tell you otherwise but you'll find that there's nothing scary about me."

"I know." I whispered, "I'm just...afraid in general." I realized how bizarre that sounded. "Sorry. I'm a little messed up."

"We all are, darling." Freddie said. When he put his arm around my shoulder, his white shirt swooped down like a magnificent bat wing. I was quite convinced that an angel was embracing me. Freddie set me down on the bed. I squealed slightly as he sat beside me, and wrapped his arms around me tightly. This was moving too fast! Fortunately, Freddie didn't make any more moves. We sat still without saying a word until my heart decreased to a normal speed.

"I guess we're both broken and that's why we were chosen to be together. We can make each other whole again." Freddie sighed.

"You don't seem very broken to me." I remarked, "You seem like you really have your shit together unlike me. I'm a total mess."

"I'm just better at hiding it. I'm so good at pretending to have my shit together that you might as well call me the great pretender, but the truth is I'm not as fabulous as you may believe. I can't hide things from you, Deaky. I want you to know everything about me, the good the bad and the ugly. I want you to have it all at your fingertips so I can always be honest with you. So I'm going to tell you everything about m--"

Delilah interrupted Freddie's heartfelt confession with a series of meows. "No, I don't know where Brian keeps the tissue boxes." Freddie casually responded to her, "Need I remind you that we just got here, darling. And what makes you think I'll be crying? I'm not that pathetic, now am I!"

"Y-you talk to cats?" I laughed in realization.

"No, just Delilah." He clarified, "I'd explain all that if  _she'd_ stop interrupting." Delilah promptly stopped meowing when she heard Freddie's sharp tone. "Good. I know you're excited for me, dear, but you need to be quiet so I can talk to Deaky." Freddie reached over to scratch her behind the ears and she purred. This was more than just a pet owner dynamic. The two were clearly good friends, and I found that sweet. Friends were hard to come by, so I wouldn't mind turning to an animal for companionship. They could be much more trustworthy than people.

"Now I should warn you, my love," Freddie addressed me, making me blush, "what I'm about to tell you isn't a fairytale. It isn't very pretty. But I want you to hear it. Alright?"

I nodded, still not fathoming that he had referred to me as his love. We literally just met, but I could feel the sparks flying and the potential for falling seriously in love with this muse. Hearing what he had to endure to get to this point made my heart break. Why would anyone want to hurt my beautiful muse? Freddie got about halfway through his life story before he teared up as Delilah predicted, but I didn't blame him. I was also crying when he relayed the horrific details of what those bastard lab rats did to him. What made it even more tragic was that it was obvious that Freddie really did want to use his healing powers to help people.

"T-those were the better days," Freddie choked, "when they cleared people to come to the lab so I could cure them. I-It broke my heart when I couldn't handle any more than two or three at a time because there were just so many of them who I couldn't help. If I were given more time..." He trailed off and shook his head, "A lot of the terminally ill people died before I could help."

"But  _you_  almost died." I reminded him, "You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save them."

"I didn't have much of a choice, darling, but it would've been better to die saving others than to do so at the hands of the scientists. B-before I was rescued...I-I was...dying of AIDS."

"What?" I cried.

"T-the scientist, they um purposefully stabbed me with a tainted needle to see if I could cure myself like I did with all the cancers. It was bad, Deaky...I-I wasn't getting better. No matter how much I sang, the disease just wouldn't go away. I got really sick. I thought I was going to die."

"Freddie." I sobbed alongside him, "I'm so sorry."

"Then my savior Paul showed up disguised in a lab coat." Delilah hissed before Freddie could say any more about who Paul was or how he fit into the story. "Oh shut up, Delilah!" He sniffled, "It's true. He did save me. I owe him that much. I would have died if he didn't rescue us."

Freddie ignored Delilah's protesting meows and went on. "The reason I wasn't able to cure myself  was because I was already weakened when I got sick. I didn't have the energy to harness the magic needed to combat the disease. Paul understood this and explained it to the other scientists. They agreed to put me under his care. He gave me blankets and food and water and everything I would need to be nursed back to health or nursed back to a point where I was strong enough to use my powers to get healthy." Freddie paused to scold Delilah again. "I didn't say he was my knight in shining armor! Now pipe down I want Deaky to know everything there is to know about me, and you are being quite rude. I really don't appreciate your attitude, darling." 

Delilah showed a little less hostility, but she still hissed slightly whenever Freddie mentioned Paul's name. Something told me Paul wasn't to be trusted despite what he did to help Freddie survive.

"When I was finally cured, Paul told me that he wasn't a real scientist. He was a demon." Freddie explained.

I gasped. Now Delilah's frantic yapping made sense. She knew better than to praise a demon or allow Freddie to do so. Still, I gave Paul an open mind as Freddie continued.

"Paul taught me a special song that lessened a demon's urge to kill and allow them to remain sane. He was seeking a creature with a voice powerful enough to alleviate his barbaric needs. His quest led him to me. That was why he had disguised himself as a scientist and showed me mercy. With my help, his mind could focus on other things besides murder and he could go days without killing. We made an agreement. He would break me out of the lab and bring me to a secluded tower in the outskirts and keep me safe from the other demons and hunters. In return, I would be his prisoner and sing for him whenever he demanded it."

"So you became nothing more than a caged bird." I summed up. Delilah was right to be so critical of Freddie's "savior". Paul used and abused him the same way the lab rats did. Albeit the maltreatment was to a lesser degree, but Freddie was nonetheless trading cage bars for tower walls. It was still imprisonment and slavery no matter how much Paul attempted to sugarcoat it.

I wanted to interrupt Freddie much like Delilah to point how he gave Paul much more credit than he deserved. Freddie spoke so highly of the demon, but from what I gathered, Paul took advantage of Freddie's low expectations coming from the lab and as a result provided him with only the bare minimum he needed to survive.

"I never went hungry. I was given a soft warm bed, and if I needed anything, Paul would supply me with it." He raved, "I asked for music, and he brought me a piano without question. Well, I needed to heave the piano up into the tower with my magic, and he was not very keen on bringing me any other instruments after I started playing the piano. But he also brought me albums of every genre including several operas which he knew I loved..."

Delilah saw me roll my eyes and gently nodded her head in agreement. We weren't buying Freddie's justifications of his favorable opinion of Paul. I knew a thing or two about an abusive relationship, having been in one myself, and Paul reminded me too much of Tim. The red flags were all there, but Freddie was just too blind to see them.

"Meow, meow!" Delilah huffed.

"Really?" Freddie scoffed, "What do you know about Stockholm Syndrome, Delilah? You're a fucking cat, not a bloody psychiatrist! Besides we've been through this countless times. I'm getting things out of the bargain as well as Paul. I need him. We need each other." Freddie sighed, catching his own defensiveness, "I  _did_ need him. I don't need him now. He needs me still, but he'll have to find another muse or siren to sing for him."

This restatement earned a purr from Delilah and a reassuring smile on my end. Moving on and believing in your own self worth could be difficult. I was still working on that second part, but I liked to believe that I had moved on. I'd be here to help Freddie move on as well. Together we would build a new happier life far from the traumas of our pasts.

"I owe Brian even more now." I said when Freddie finally finished his story. "He brought you to me."

"Do you know if he ever found his soulmate?" Freddie wondered, "I think that would be a good way for us to repay him. If we could arrange their meeting, he could feel what we're feeling now. Or rather what _I'm_ feeling now. I can't speak for you, my love."

"Y-You're better than anything I could have asked for." I blurted, but I didn't feel embarrassed for admitting that when Freddie beamed with pride and said the same back to me.

"I wish I could open up like you did." I sighed, "B-but I...I wouldn't even know where to begin." My story wasn't any better than Freddie's. Reliving certain things might lead to a total breakdown.

"Darling, I had to get all that off my chest, but that doesn't mean I expect you to do the same. I want to learn everything there is to know about you, but a lot of it I will have to learn over time. I understand that this is a lot for one night. You don't owe me anything. You can tell me as much or as little as you wish. Please don't feel pressured, Deaky. I want you to feel comfortable with me." Freddie assured me.

"But I want you to know." I decided. I took a deep breath wondering where to start. "Take your time." Freddie whispered.

"I-I was born on August—Wait you know that already." I shook my head in frustration. This shouldn't be so difficult. Freddie was able to tell me his life story, so shouldn't I do the same?

"I'll tell you what." Freddie proposed, "I'm going to take a shower and get myself ready for bed, and then we'll see how you feel. If you're still not ready to open up, we'll just go to sleep. How does that sound?"

I was too busy watching Freddie undress to hear a word he said. His clothes magically evaporated as he took them off. He began with his shoes. Then the shirt. "Feel free to join me in the shower." Freddie winked as he disappeared behind the bathroom door to supposedly remove his pants. I didn't hear the click of the door lock.

Delilah mewled something, but I obviously couldn't understand. I wondered if she noticed how red my face was. Would she tell Freddie? She brushed past me and went to do her business on the newspapers set up for Little Dipper. We would have to get a litter box and a supply of cat food. Hopefully we could afford the upkeep of two pets. If Freddie got the art professor job that Brian promised, we wouldn't have to worry about rent anymore, so I was grateful.

_'This thing called love, I just can't handle it_

_This thing called love, I must get round to it_

_I ain't ready_

_Crazy little thing called love...'_

Even from behind the closed bathroom door and over the sound of rushing water, I could still hear Freddie's powerful voice singing in the shower. The style of the lovely tune was similar to that of Elvis. I wondered if Freddie was a fan of the king. He had to be. Elvis was also an undercover muse, but by the time someone exposed him, he had gained so many loving fans that they staged a protest when he was arrested and were able to free him. There were several other undercover magical creatures who were able to rise to fame and success despite the laws. Most remained undercover for their entire careers only revealing their secret on their deathbeds. It gave me hope that there were others like me who could still achieve greatness.

I flicked through the various albums Brian had collected over the years. The catalogue mostly consisted of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, however towards the back I spotted a few Beatles albums and fortunately enough an album of Elvis's greatest hits. I put the album into the record player. Unable to resist the beat, I got up on my feet and danced to Jailhouse Rock. I grabbed the nearest hairbrush and used it as a mock microphone as I sang along. Man this was embarrassing! It was a good thing that Freddie was still in the shower and couldn't see me making a fool of myself.

"Meow, meow, meow!" Delilah exclaimed, her eyes fixed on something behind me.

"Shh! Don't tell him I'm here, darling. Let him carry on." I yelped when I heard Freddie's voice coming from the spot where Delilah was staring. Mortified, I dropped the hairbrush and turned to see him watching me from behind. His hair and body were wet from the shower, but he was wearing silky red pajamas that somehow remained perfectly dry. Freddie laughed when I stopped dancing. He walked over and pecked his lips up against my cheek, no doubt feeling their warmth from my blush beneath his soft lips. "Have I told you how cute you are, Deaky?" He drawled, running his fingers through my long hair.

"I was just...um..." I went to turn off the music, but Freddie stopped me. "Leave it on, dear. I'm quite fond of Elvis."

"Yeah. I heard you singing in the shower and it reminded me a bit of Elvis, so I was in the mood." I admitted.

"Darling, you can't possibly mean that. I'm nowhere near as good as the king. Besides, I improvised that shower song on the spot. I call it...Crazy Little Thing Called Love." He sounded as if he was making the title up on the spot, but the song was too professional for me to believe that. "I might sing it for you sometime if I ever bother to write it down. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind watching you dance some more."

Vehemently, I shook my head. I loved to dance, but that didn't mean I was any good at it. I never danced in front of other people, let alone my soulmate. It would be far too humiliating.

"Oh come on." Freddie pleaded, "I loved watching you dance. You looked so happy when you were doing it. Please dance some more for me."

"I-I don't think I'd even be able to if I know that you're watching me. I wasn't aware that you were watching me before." I told him.

"Exactly. I was watching you before so I've already seen you, and you know I love yo--your dance moves. So there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Did Freddie almost slip and say that he loved me? No. He was talking about my dance moves. He loved my dance moves. Although I had no clue why. They were embarrassing as heck. Thankfully, the next track was a ballad, so I had an excuse not to dance.

_'Wise men say only fools rush in...'_

Oh wait. It was a love song which meant that we could... "Slow dance with me?" Freddie asked, extending his hand.  I was afraid he was going to request that, but there was no way I'd reject him. "Why not?" I hesitantly took his hand.

"I have no idea what I'm doing." I whispered as Freddie pulled me close, taking the lead. "Neither do I." He laughed as we tripped over our own feet in an awkward sway. "Growing up in a lab, I didn't get any experiences in school dances and proms. I thought it would be easier like in the movies."

_'Take my hand,_

_Take my whole life, too_

_For I can't help falling in love with you...'_

"But this couldn't be more perfect." I sighed, surprised I had the guts to say that out loud. Freddie nodded in agreement as we continued to move our feet in a spontaneous direction that resembled anything but waltzing.

_"Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be..."_

Freddie crooned along with the album. His skin took on a beautiful hue as his heavenly voice sang directly to me. 

_"For I can't help falling in love with you..."_

"I'm going to kiss you now. Is that okay, love?" 

I responded with some sort of inaudible sound that was incomprehensible. Freddie waited for something more reminiscent of consent. I waited for myself to catch my breath so I could better brace myself before uttering "Go ahead." It was a quick soft kiss that didn't last very long, but it was everything I could have wanted having never kissed anyone before. I always wondered what it would be like, but this was beyond my expectations.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Thank  _you_ , darling." Freddie replied, leaning in once more. I shut my eyes anticipating the second kiss.

The jarring shift in tracks made us pull apart as Hound Dog began to play. Delilah obnoxiously meowed over the music. Freddie rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I know you can't stand this bloody song or any song about a dog." With a yawn, he removed the needle and the music stopped. "It's been a long day for me. Do you mind if we call it a night, Deaky?"

"Of course not." I replied, finding myself naturally reaching for Freddie's hand again. It felt nice to have my fingers interlocked with his. "Um, we only have two beds. You can either sleep on a chair which I really wouldn't recommend or share a bed with...one of us." I wasn't bold enough to bluntly invite him to sleep with me (just sleep, don't get any ideas).

Freddie's focus shifted back onto Delilah as she said something foreign to me. "You can sleep on the foot of the bed just like always. Deaky will allow it."

I didn't care if Delilah slept with us so long as I got to be with Freddie. I never imagined I'd be genuinely excited to be getting next to someone under the covers, but here I was anticipating us cuddling and falling asleep next to each other.

"I don't need your permission, dear, but I'm glad you agree with me." I realized Freddie was still talking to Delilah. "I can already tell he is an absolute delight and this is going to work."

"What did she say?" I inquired.

"That you have her blessing and she wouldn't want anyone else to be my soulmate." Freddie stated proudly. He kissed me again this time without the warning, but I didn't need one. The kiss was still just as soft but it lasted slightly longer. I timidly smiled as I pulled away. "Yeah. This is definitely going to work." I declared.

An overwhelming feeling washed over me as I went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Freddie was my soulmate. We kissed. I was falling in love. How could this all be happening so quickly? I didn't even know him. Yet I did. He relayed his entire life story to me so I did know nearly everything about him. But he knew nothing about me. Would he still want to be with me if he knew how broken I was?

I returned to the bedroom now in my pajamas. Freddie was already in bed with Delilah curled on the edge. She purred softly watching him sleep. Then she eyed me but there was something soft in those judging cat eyes. She mewled something before purring again. Only the purrs weren't for Freddie. They were for me. "She loves you, darling." Freddie slurred, his eyes still shut, "Just like I love you."

"You don't know me." I sighed, "If you knew...you wouldn't love me."

Freddie opened his eyes and sat up. In a swift motion that made me flinch, he pulled me up against his chest. Delilah settled herself in my lap, still purring. "I love you, John." Freddie repeated, "Whatever it is you want to tell me won't change that. You're my soulmate after all." What did I ever do to deserve someone like Freddie?

"I um...I was born--"

"On August the 19th of 1951? Yes, I know. We established that." He chuckled, planting a kiss on my cheek.

I shook my head and tried again. "I was born in the outskirts. My family was in hiding. Growing up, I didn't really understand the gravity of the situation. I thought it was a game. Stay quiet. Gather food as quickly as possible. Stay hidden. Don't trust anyone outside of the family. Run if someone sees you..." I recited the rules that I still had committed to memory after all these years. Then I got to the last two, the most painful to recount. "Always carry a weapon. If you get caught...If you get caught..." I broke into a dry sob unable to continue even though I wanted Freddie to know it all.

He held me tighter, rocking me slightly "Shh. Shh. Deaky, it's alright. You don't have to tell me anymore."

"No...I want you to know." I composed myself enough to go on. "If you get caught use your weapon on your birthmark." I completed the final rule.

"I don't understand." Freddie whispered, gently drying my tears.

I didn't want to have to show him, but there was no other way to explain what I was forced to do to myself in order to survive. I took Freddie's arm and rolled up the silky red sleeve, revealing the etching of my name alongside the muse symbol. I traced his magic mark with my fingers. Freddie shivered beneath my touch. "Careful, darling. You know how sensitive our markings are."

"I know more than anyone." I said, "It's the source of our powers. If you remove it or destroy it, you'll get rid of the magic and you'll be normal."I blinked back more tears from my eyes, repeating my father's words verbatim. "Only do it in an emergency, John. It will be devastating, but it will save your life. It will guarantee they won't hurt you. You'll be useless to them without your magic. They'll let you go."

My hands trembled as I removed the sock from my foot unveiling what was left of my magic marking. The deforming scar was as dark and ugly as always from the burns I had given myself with a cigarette lighter. All these years and it still never healed. Dad warned me that anything I did to the mark would be irreversible, and he wasn't just saying that to scare me.

Freddie bit down on his lip as he too fought back sobs. "W-what did you do to yourself, Deaky?"

"I had to." I wailed, "When the hunter found me, my life was over." The day that ruined my life came rushing back to me and I found myself reliving it. "I broke the always carry a weapon rule. I was just so hungry. I hadn't eaten in days and my little sister was dying of malnutrition. We needed food."

Freddie just continued to hold me. I appreciated that he didn't tell me I was alright because I wasn't alright. I'd only be pretending if I said I was. "I know what it's like to starve nearly to death." Freddie said softly, "The scientist would go days without feeding me. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, and I'm so sorry you and your family had to endure that pain. Oh, Deaky, no one deserves that."

I took comfort in his compassion, and his strong arms around me. I wasn't alright, but I'd get through this with Freddie's help. I took a deep breath and continued. "I left the cave we were hiding in to search for food, but I forgot my weapon because I was so desperate. I eventually came across an almond tree. I didn't even know almonds grew on trees. I thought I was hallucinating **,** but the nuts were real and delicious."

I was back in my memory, still able to taste the handful of almonds I stuffed into my mouth like a crazed animal.  _The smell of almonds was suddenly overpowered by a breeze wafting the scent of a hunter in my direction. With a soft thud, I spilled my fisted palms full of almonds onto the ground and made a run for it back to the cave. However, I was too late. A dart came flying through the air landing directly in my neck. My legs gave way below me and I found myself on the cold ground alongside my dropped almonds._

_I saw the hunter standing over me as my world began to spin. With what little control I had left over my body, I caught the hunter off guard, reaching up managing to grasp the cigarette lighter from his pocket. It was now or never. I lit the flame directly onto my magic mark next to the words my soulmate would one day say to me. The symbol didn't mean much to me anyway. My parents purposefully never told me what type of magical creatures we were in order to protect me and I was still too young to start developing powers. The pain was excruciating and my screams of agony seemed to never end..._

It was only when Freddie belted a powerful note that I realized I was back in the present still screaming as if I were currently experiencing the pain of burning my mark out of existence. Freddie's high note seemed to have a calming effect over me and I could no longer feel the flames eating away at my magic.

Freddie leaned his head back wincing slightly and I realized that he had caused himself pain in trying to alleviate me of my suffering. "Did that help?" He panted, "I wanted it to soothe you so you didn't have to live through that pain again."

"Not at your expense." I sighed.

"Nonsense, darling, I'm fine. However I wasn't fine watching you in agony like that. It simply broke my heart. I couldn't stand it."

"It was all in my head." I assured him, "All that pain is in the past. I'm safe for now."

"You really don't have to tell me anymore." Freddie said, giving me another gentle kiss that made me melt. I loved this man and I owed him the same openness and honesty that he gave me.

My eyes traveled from the bruised mark to the words engraved in my skin. Suddenly I didn't feel as confident in my feelings towards Freddie. It was somebody else's name written down on my foot. Farrokh Bulsara, not Freddie Mercury. But that was impossible. Freddie had my name written on his arm. I wanted Freddie not Farrokh.

"Oh I didn't even notice you have my name on you." Freddie cooed oblivious to the mistake.

"But it's not you." I choked unable to look him in the eye.

"Did I forget to tell you that my real name is Farrokh?"

At that flippant admittance, I let out a sigh of relief, and pulled Freddie into the most passionate kiss we had shared yet. Freddie moaned in response. "Farrokh." I whispered as he cupped my cheek tenderly. "My Farrokh." "My John." Freddie responded with a smile.

"I told you nearly everything. I'm surprised that my real name slipped my mind." He sighed, "The scientists would all pronounce it differently, so eventually they came up with the nickname Freddie and it stuck. I never knew my last name though." Freddie stared down at the tattoo, lost deep in thought. "Bulsara." He whispered to himself.

"Meow meow meow meow." Delilah got his attention back.

"Yes I do still like your idea to call myself Mercury just to piss off the scientists for poisoning me with mercury. It makes me feel strong. The name stands."

"Do you remember anything about your life before the lab?" I asked, "You must have a family. Maybe the Bulsaras are trying to find you."

Freddie shook his head. "If I do have a family, then I don't remember them." His frown faded when he met my eyes again. "But that's okay. I have you now."

When Delilah hissed Freddie corrected himself. "I have you and my precious Delilah of course. Oh and Brian as well."

"We can be a family." I agreed, "But families don't keep secrets, so you need to know about me."

"Deaky, I told you, you--"

"--I can get through this." I assured him. "Now where was I?"

Freddie was hesitant. Barely above a whisper he reminded me, "You violated your own mark with the hunter's cigarette lighter."

"I thought he would let me go just like my dad said, but he didn't. He brought me to an auction house where I was kept in a cage and observed by hundreds of people like I was some sort of zoo animal."

"Fucking bastards." Freddie muttered darkly.

I recalled some of the men and women in white lab coats walking past my cage with disinterest when they learned that I had rid myself of my magic. I was useless to them and most of the other prospective buyers. I wondered if Freddie had started off in an auction house like me and was bid on by scientists.

"I was kept there for about a week." I recounted, "When no one made any bids on me because of my lack of powers, I was eventually shipped back to the outskirts to work in the magic mines."

"No!" Freddie cried, "Not the magic mines!"

I wasn't surprised that he knew of the notorious magic mines. I was one of the slaves forced to work for fourteen hours at a time scouring the dangerous minefield for precious minerals that chemists would use in various products, medicines, and of course magic suppressant pills. While working, I also had to defend myself against the demons who venture into the mines in search of something to kill.

"Paul would get his magic suppressants from the mines so he could travel to the civilization undetected." Freddie said, "He would often have blood on his hands and mouth when he returned, but he assured me he didn't murder any of the enslaved children."

"He lied." I stated with certainty. Delilah mewled something which I interpreted to be along the lines of "I told you so."

"How old were you when you were brought to the mines?" Freddie asked.

"Twelve, but there were kids even younger working there as well. I believe the youngest was a six year old. It was mostly captured children sent there because their powers hadn't developed, so there was no other use for them."

"I wonder why I wasn't sent there." Freddie shut his eyes reflecting, "My earliest memory is in the lab. I was probably only four or five. Why would they ever want me that young?"

"Powers don't even start to show until teenage years." I remarked, "I was around thirteen when I started glitching."

The first time I lost myself was by far the scariest. I woke up one morning, and I couldn't see myself even if I were to put my hand right in front of my face. No one else could see me either. It was like I had ceased to exist. I called it a glitch because it wasn't supposed to happen. After destroying my mark, I should have been magic free. Still somehow a remnant of what my powers may have been emerged in the form of invisibility.

"I still can't control it unless I take magic suppressants." I explained. I nuzzled myself closer to Freddie even though we were physically as close as two could possibly be. "Skin to skin contact usually brings me back."

"I can certainly help you with that, my dear." Freddie said, giving me another smooch on the lips. "You needn't worry about glitching anymore now that you have me to hold you tight, darling."

I giggled, temporarily forgetting about all the hardships I had face over the years. It was just me and Freddie snuggling like lovers. "I'm so lucky." I murmured, putting my lips to one of his lovely cheekbones. "I'm even luckier." He replied, "You're so beautiful, Deaky. I wish I could kill each and every person who ever hurt you."

"I wish I could kill those evil scientists as well as Paul." I told him not surprised when Delilah hissed again when I mentioned the demon's name.

"Demons are nearly impossible to kill, so don't waste your energy getting angry over Paul. It is what it is and I do owe him my life." Freddie dismissed.

Of course I was more than willing to help Freddie face his demons (literally), but he had to work out his issues on his own. So instead of arguing with him, I continued my story. Thankfully the next few years I was about to reminisce weren't as bad as the rest.

"I was deemed a liability because I kept glitching in the mines and people would trip on me or bump into me. So the hunters in charge reassigned me, and I got to work with the chemists composing the magic suppressants. Working with them I found my passion for math and science and dreamed of becoming an engineer some day. I liked chemistry a lot, but I really enjoyed fiddling with different gadgets and electronics and building things. The hunters still treated me subhuman and reminded me every step of the way that I didn't deserve any of these special privileges I was receiving, but the chemists were quite welcoming. They all adored me and snuck me food and water whenever they could. One of them even forged me a doctor's prescription for magic suppressants and encouraged me to escape to the civilization where I could live undercover."

"I don't blame them for finding you so adorable. You deserve to always be treated with the kindness they showed you and nothing less." Freddie began to braid my hair as I moved on to what I was least looking forward to reliving, the darkest year of my life.

"When I was eighteen, a new hunter was assigned a shift in the magic mines. His name was Tim Staffell, of course, he made me call him sir just like all the other hunters. Although he seemed to be more on my back than the other hunters, demanding to know why a worthless creature like me had the luxury of working in the superior non magic division of the mines, far removed from the actual hard labor. He didn't believe that I could be so good at math that the chemists actually vouched to keep me in their division with them. Then he saw some of my work and was impressed with the detailed equations I could solve." Once again I found myself in a flashback, unable to differentiate the present from the past.

_As I ventured out of the chemistry lab, Tim stopped me in the hall, purposefully sticking out his foot so I would trip and fall to the floor. He yanked me to my feet and pinned me up against the wall._

_"So, I saw some of your equations. Turns out you're pretty good with numbers. I guess I owe you an apology, freak."_

_"T-thank y--" Tim slapped me across the cheek leaving a red welt. "Don't say a word to me unless I allow it. Do you understand?"_

_"Y-yes, sir." I squeaked._

_"Good. Now listen up, freak. I'm starting a band and it's going to be the next big thing like the Stones or the Beatles only much better. When I get rich and famous I'm going to need someone to handle my finances and shit. I'm putting you in charge of dealing with all the numbers because I know you'll do it for free. So I'm gonna bust you out of this dump and have you live with me in the civilization. In addition to being my accountant you'll have the joy of catering to all my other desires. If you don't comply I'll report you as an undercover magical creature and you'll be screwed. Do we understand each other?"..._

"I became his slave." I told Freddie, "He treated me like an animal literally feeding me dog food. He forced me to cook and clean for him and he would whip me and beat me even if I did a good job. I was kept prisoner in his garage for almost a year. He took it out on me when Humpy Bong remained unsuccessful."

I expected Freddie to laugh at Tim's ridiculous band name as I first had (only to be badly beaten in response), but his face remained dead serious. "I'm sorry." He whispered repeatedly as I cried into his shoulder.

"W-when Tim found out that I had been teaching myself to play guitar using his bass...he-he beat me so hard t-that it triggered my glitch, and no matter what I did I couldn't bring myself back. I was stuck invisible."

I shuddered recalling Tim's taunting shouts.  _"Where'd you go, freak? Come on out! I won't hurt you anymore."_  The words were so reminiscent of what used to be written on my foot but was now replaced by Farrokh Bulsara. Tim was the reason why I feared finding my soulmate until today. I was now reassured by my growing love for Freddie that I'd be safe with him and he was the polar opposite of my abuser.

"He um left the garage door open, and I made a run for it." I sniffled, "B-but even when I was far away from Tim and that garage...I still couldn't m-make myself visible again. I was trapped as the invisible man for two weeks, fending for myself out on the streets. I ate from the trash like a raccoon and did whatever else I needed to in order to keep myself alive. I was too scared to call out for help, so I just avoided people and tried not to walk by too many magic detectors in case I set them off."

"Oh, you must have been so very lonely all on your own, unable to see your own reflection for two weeks. I can't imagine. I've always had Delilah to keep me company even when I was at my lowest points. You poor thing. You had no one."

"It w-was bad, but I was away from Tim. I would rather be all alone than with him." I admitted.

"Well now you don't have to be alone anymore, and if Tim dares to ever comes near you again, I'll make him pay. I only like to use my magic to heal and help people, but I'm capable of making people suffer if I have to." The solemn look behind Freddie's dark eyes told me he wasn't joking. "Now that I've found you, Deaky, I'll do whatever it takes to protect you from all the motherfuckers in this cruel world who want to hurt us."

I shuddered at his intensity. Something told me Freddie wasn't a muse to be messed with, and he would fight back if pushed hard enough. I shushed him with another sweet kiss. "No one's tried to hurt me since I escaped Tim's garage." I assured him. "Things have been looking up for me lately and now they're better than ever before because I met you."

"I'm so glad we're on the same page, darling." Freddie purred, a habit I assumed he had picked up from Delilah. I found it so sweet and unique. It comforted me as his fingers continued to gently trail through my hair. "All done!" He announced as he completed my braid. Before I could get up to look in the mirror, Freddie put his lips to the top of my head, kissing my hair and making me giggle.

"Meow meow meow." Delilah interrupted the tender moment.

"Say what you will about Brian's hair, but Deaky is cuter as far as I'm concerned. Best of all he's all mine." Freddie stared at me lovingly. "My beautiful soulmate." He murmured to himself.

The blush would probably never leave my cheeks at this rate. I was cursed to live out the rest of my life as a cherry tomato, but if it was a life with Freddie by my side I'd take it. He could continue to make me blush until the end of time as far I was concerned. I was his and he was mine. I never imagined that meeting my soulmate would bind us this quickly, but there was no going back at this point. I had fallen in love for the first time. This time I knew it was for real. My love needed to hear the rest of my story.

"There was a really bad rainstorm." I recalled, "Similar to the one we had earlier this evening, but it was worse. I didn't have any shelter because if I went into any of the buildings, it would set off the magic detectors, so I had to sleep outside in the rain. When I woke up, I was finally visible again. The rain must have triggered something to bring me back. The only problem was that I caught a cold from spending the night in the rain. Then I was so fortunate to have Brian find me..."

_'My nose was stuffed from the cold, but I could still smell the hunter's scent in the distance. It wasn't Tim, but that didn't make me feel any safer. Too weak to run, I flung myself beneath the park bench. I had spent two bloody weeks completely invisible, and now when I needed it back I couldn't call upon it._

_"Hey, are you okay?" The hunter was now crouched down in front of me, and I was utterly terrified of what he would do to me. I would rather be reported and sent to a lab or back to the magic mines than be kept in another garage like Tim. None of my options were optimal._

_"S-Stay away!" I shouted. I tried to give him another worthless warning, but my voice gave way to a fit of coughs._

_I recoiled as the hunter reached out and put a hand to my forehead. "You have a fever." He sounded concerned, but I knew better._

_"P-please...don't touch m--" I sneezed._

_"Come. I can take you back to my flat and make you soup. You seem like you need some help."_

_Shit! He was like Tim. I knew it. I had no choice but to obey. "Y-yes sir." I whispered, wiping the tears from my eyes as I emerged from beneath the bench._

_"No, none of that! I know I'm a hunter, but we're equals, alright? My name is Brian, not sir."_

"It all worked out for the best." I summed up, "I got my dream job as an engineer, and Brian even bought me my very own guitar that I can play whenever I want. I never thought things could ever be this good for me...and now I found my soulmate."

Freddie leaned over and placed his thumb on my distorted mark. I stifled back a scream as the site of the wound was still very sensitive even to this day. "Shh." Freddie hushed, "It's okay, my love. I'm going to make it better." 

_"I was born to love you_

_With every single beat of my heart_

_Yes, I was born to take care of you_

_Every single day of my life...'_

As Freddie sang, I could feel his magic working its way across my mark. Slowly but surely, what I thought was irreversible bruising began to peel away revealing fresh flesh beneath it, smooth as baby skin.  I gasped as the distortion completely healed itself and I could finally see my magic symbol again after all of these years. I gasped and glanced back at Freddie. His eyelids were fluttering shut as his chest heaved up and down. "I-I'm...okay." He panted.

"Rest." I whispered, pulling the sheets up around us.

"Deaky, you're...you're..." Freddie yawned, struggling to keep his eyes open, "Y-you're a shapeshifter."

"What?" I cried, "That can't be right."

"Your marking...and your scent. Darling...y-you're a shapeshifter." He slurred. Finally giving into his heavy eyelids, Freddie immediately fell into a deep sleep.

"A shapeshifter?" I whispered to myself. I lifted my hand to my nose, inhaling my newly restored scent. It reminded me of my family. Could we have been shapeshifters? I was familiar with the symbol as it matched that of my parents and sister, but my parents deliberately never told me its meaning in case I ever got caught. They thought I could better protect myself with ignorance, believing that the hunters and scientists would find me useless. Perhaps my glitch was my power fighting back against the deformity. My body wanted to change forms but was suppressed to a state of invisibility. Now that Freddie healed me, I'd be able to use my powers as they were intended. I was no longer the invisible man. I was a shapeshifter! In a way, I was a great pretender just like Freddie.

Speaking of Freddie, my muse was snoring softly by my side, sleeping off the lethargy and discomfort that came from impossibly restoring my magic status. "I love you." I whispered in Freddie's ear. Delilah purred one more time before shutting her cat eyes to go to sleep as well.

All was quiet and peaceful. It was time for me to join my soulmate in his dreams. Yawning, I turned off the lamp. I was about to shut my eyes when I heard the front door open. I jolted up making Freddie stir.

"John? Freddie? Is everything okay?"

I let out a sigh of relief. Brian was home! I didn't want to wake up Freddie, so I put a finger to my lips as Brian entered the bedroom. He gasped when he saw the two of us tangled in the sheets together.

"How was your gig?" I whispered.

"John, you know you don't have to do this. I know how you are with strangers." He said at a volume slightly above that of a whisper. "Freddie can share a bed with me instead."

I shook my head. "Bri, it's okay. He's my soulmate."

Brian's eyes widened in realization. "That's great news! I'm so happy for you. I was hoping you two would get along, but this is fantastic!"

As I lay back down and positioned myself once again in Freddie's arms, Brian frowned. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I know he's your soulmate, but that doesn't mean you have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. If things are moving too fast for you, be sure to communicate how you feel with Freddie. I'm sure he'll understand."

"Whatever you say, Mom." I mocked. I appreciated everything that Brian did for me, but I did not need him to give me the sex talk. I could handle my own relationship. Soon I'd be twenty years old, so I was certainly no child. I knew what I was doing.

"I'm just looking out for you, John. Yesterday you said you were terrified of finding your soulmate and now you're in bed with him." Brian pointed out.

"I trust Freddie." I replied, "And you should too. He saved your life."

"I'm not worried about Freddie. I know he'll be good for you, but I'm concerned that you might not be ready to delve into a serious relationship so quickly. You're just so...fragile. I'm happy for you two. I really am. Be careful is all I'm trying to say."

"How was the gig?" I asked again eager to change the subject.

"Excellent." Brian proclaimed, "You won't believe it, but I was approached by a music producer"

"What?" I shrieked, "Bri, that's amazing!"

Delilah hissed at me for raising my voice, but Freddie was in such a deep sleep that he didn't wake up.

"Don't get too excited, John." Brian said, "I'm not getting a record deal anytime soon. The producer said I wasn't exactly what he was looking for. Plus he was hesitant to sign a hunter. Apparently it's bad for marketing. But if I ever joined a band with a non-hunter as the frontman, he agreed to give me a shot."

"That's bullshit!" I cried, "Why would it be bad for marketing?"

"Because I belong in the outskirts battling demons and...you know." He purposefully didn't say kidnapping people like me. "A hunter has no place in the music industry."

That was so unfair! I thought magical creatures were the only ones who faced discrimination in the civilization, but I was wrong. Perhaps that was why Tim's all hunter band Humpy Bong had so much trouble making it big. Although it could have something to do with the name.

Maybe Brian could go undercover or better yet he could join a band with two undercovers. I couldn't believe I was about to suggest this, but I really wanted Brian to catch a break. "If Freddie and I stayed undercover, then we could be in a band with you and you'd get that record deal. Freddie could be our frontman. All we would have to do is find a drummer willing to keep our secret."

"That is out of the question!" Brian protested, "I'm having enough trouble convincing you to play these gigs in small nightclubs. If we get signed, we'd be playing full concerts in much larger venues, and I'm not sure how well you'd handle that. Plus there's the elephant in the room."

"What are you talking about?" I asked cluelessly.

"Freddie glows when he sings. He'll give us all away."

That was true. How was Elvis able to do it? Could magic suppressants stop the glowing? Would I really be willing to put my soulmate in such a compromising position? The frontman always got the most attention, and one slip up could land Freddie right back in the lab. "You're right, Bri. It would never work. I'm sorry. I guess I just got excited."

"It is exciting." Brian agreed, "Even if I'll never play professionally, I'll always have the experience of being approached by a legitimate music producer. The club was practically empty. The odds were incredible that he showed up right when I was playing. Producers don't usually scout the clubs I go to, but something brought him there. But we shouldn't get carried away. It's not meant to be. I'm only gigging to pay the bills."

"Don't lie, darling." I realized Freddie was awake. "You love it, and given the chance, you would go professional."

"Go back to sleep, Freddie." Brian said, "It's late and you have a big day tomorrow. I managed to schedule you an interview with the head of the arts department in the afternoon."

"In a perfect world, you would be a rockstar, astrophysicist, and animal savior, not a fucking recruiter." Freddie drawled.

"It's not a perfect world." The guitarist said bluntly. He was about to say something else, but then his nose twitched.

"He smells like a shapeshifter because he is a shapeshifter." Freddie informed Brian, "I helped him restore his magic. That's why I'm so bloody tired."

I was so grateful for Freddie helping me discover what I was meant to be, but I felt guilty that I had drained so much of his energy.

"Don't guilt yourself, my love." Freddie turned to me as Brian went to the bathroom to get himself ready for bed and process all of this new information. "Well would you listen to that, darling. I can hear you too!"

"Hear me?"

"Your thoughts, dear. I can read your mind." Freddie clarified, "It's because I healed you, but it wasn't a life or death situation, so I wasn't expecting to gain this connection like I have with Brian and Delilah."

I should have been freaked out, but instead I felt closer to Freddie. It was oddly comforting to know that he could hear my innermost secrets and desires. Talk about intimacy!

"Tell me more about these secrets and desires of yours." Freddie teased.

 _'Wouldn't you like to know.'_  I thought. "I would indeed." He whispered flirtatiously. We both leaned into each other, our lips about to touch, but we were stopped when Brian returned, ready for bed.

"S-sorry." I stammered, putting up the towel partition between our beds. "We'll try not to be too loud."

"Um...If you're going to...do anything besides kiss, would you mind giving me a heads up so I can leave the room." Brian requested.

I felt myself flush. As much as I loved Freddie, there were certain boundaries that I was uncomfortable crossing with someone on the very first night we met. Maybe Brian was right and I needed to communicate with Freddie how far I was willing to go.

"I understand Deaky. You'll let me know when you're ready and I promise I won't pressure you to go any further if you're uncomfortable." Freddie said.

Well that was easy to get across! I was glad Freddie was so understanding. We would work well together as a couple, and I couldn't be happier. Although I made a mental note to tone down my joy when I was around Brian so he wouldn't feel bad. At least until I helped him find RMT which was now something I was determined to do. I wondered what Brian's soulmate was like and how they would meet and fall in love like me and Freddie. Only time would tell.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This chapter was the longest I've ever written at over 10,000 words. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think. As Deaky implied at the end, the next chapter will be in Roger's POV. Maylor is coming! Stay tuned.


	5. Stolen Maracas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger finds himself in hot water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you haven't figured it out by now, Freddie is Rapunzel. This chapter finally introduces Roger, and I think it's going to be pretty clear who he's supposed to be if you're a Disney fan. Thanks again for the lovely comments and all the kudos. It means a lot. ❤️

_Roger's POV_

I poked my head out of the water slowly, waiting for the proper moment to make my move. The band was situated on an elevated stage overlooking the water. From my position below, I could only see the back of their heads. The drummer was most visible to me because he sat toward the back of the stage. My breath caught in my chest when I realized that if he were to turn and look down he would definitely spot me and probably recognize me as the one who stole his old drum kit. I sunk slightly lower so that only my eyes and forehead were exposed.

The crowd cheered for an encore, but I was growing bored waiting for the concert to end already. ' _Come on!'_ I thought impatiently, ' _Finish your set already. I don't have all bloody night!'_

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen!" The frontman shouted at last, "You've been a great audience. We're so glad you were able to join us for our beachside performance here at the beautiful Civilization Beach. We're Lost Luggage. Goodnight everyone!"

Finally! I eyed my target as the crowd parted and the band dismantled their equipment. As soon as their backs were turned, I'd pull myself up onto the stage and snag the maracas just like I did with all the other instruments. No one would know. The idiots wouldn't suspect a thing. Except maybe the drummer because he was aware of me. He looked down into the water meeting my eyes. Fuck! I purposefully splashed around a bit. Maybe he'd mistake me for a fish.

"Looking for your lost mermaid, eh?" The guitarist thankfully distracted the drummer.

"I'm telling you she's real!" The drummer insisted, "I can't stop thinking about her. She may just be my soulmate."

I looked down at my hand just to be sure. BHM was inscribed next to my siren mark. Nope. This drummer was not my soulmate otherwise the initials would be replaced by his full name.

"How do you explain our instruments disappearing?" The drummer continued his rambles about me, "First it was your guitar, then Larry's keyboard, and I swear the other night I saw her dragging my drum kit into the water with her. You need to believe me."

"We should call a hunter to deal with that bitch." The frontman scoffed, "Mermaids are nothing but trouble. They belong in a tank at the magic zoo. Honestly, I think this one should be sent to the outskirts to dry out and die. Do you know how much fucking money I spent replacing your instruments? You pricks need to watch your instruments better. I can't wait until my record deal works out and I can go solo."

"I quit." The pianist announced, "I'm done with putting up with your shit, Mark."

"Yeah. I never even liked the name Lost Luggage. I'm with Larry. You suck, Mark. I'm outta here." The guitarist said.

"Fuck you guys!" The frontman shouted, "I don't need you!"

Wow! That was abrupt. The three musicians all went their separate ways abandoning the drummer. Now if he could just leave as well, I could grab my maracas and call it a night. Of course, the drummer hung by the edge of the stage, staring down at the water wistfully. "Well I just lost my band." He sighed, "So I guess I don't have much use for my drums and maracas. You can have 'em if you want. Just show yourself please."

It was too good to be true. I was quite aware of the dangers posed by land dwellers, but I had a soft spot for drummers. Besides, this guy seemed nice enough, and I did kind of feel bad for him. I raised my head back above the water. In the back of my mind I knew I was risking everything by exposing myself, but I really wanted those maracas.

"Such a pretty mermaid." The drummer cooed.

I rolled my eyes. From a distance I could understand the mistake considering my slender form and long blonde hair, but the drummer was looking directly at my face now. Couldn't he see that I was a merman and not a mermaid? "I'm not a fucking mermaid." I shouted.

"Oh!" He gasped, "A-are you a dude mermaid?"

What an asshole! Drummer or not, I hated him already, but I'd put up with this bullshit to get my maracas. I had been waiting hours to steal the instruments and I wasn't willing to let that be in vain. "Merman." I corrected him trying to stay calm, "but if you wanna be gender neutral, you can call me a siren." 

"Swim closer so I can get a better look at you, pretty fishy." The drummer said in a way that totally wasn't creepy. Sarcasm. Reminding myself what I was here for, I glided closer to the man who was eyeing me like a piece of meat. "Gimme the prize." I demanded. I was referring to the maracas, but I could always use another drum set if he was willing to give that away.

My dream was to be a drummer for a rock band. Obviously I could sing, but I didn't want to accidentally siren our audience. Plus my lack of legs limited me when it came to dancing and moving around the stage like any good frontman would. Drums were just so much more fun and captivating than all the other instruments. I was always drawn to them. So I would definitely take another set alongside the maracas if the offer stood.

"So it was you stealing our instruments." The drummer accused.

"Can you blame me? I'm obsessed with surface music." I cautiously swam closer to the stage. The maracas were laying there in temptation.

"What kind of music do you like?" He asked.

"Rock and roll of course! I think I love the Beatles the most, but I basically listen to all the stuff your band covers like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and The Who."

I purposefully didn't tell him that his shitty cover band didn't hold a candle to the real bands, and I blamed it entirely on his inferior drumming throwing off the rhythm of his bandmates. I wish I could show him how it's done. Why couldn't there be any siren drummers in the business?

"I still don't understand why you had to steal from us."

"I'm trying to bring rock and roll to the ocean." I explained, "I have a grotto full of instruments, soggy posters of my favorite rockstars, and bootleg albums that can play on underwater record players."

It was a relief to tell someone about my secret. Clare knew but my parents didn't. They would kill me if they ever found out. Hell, if they knew I was talking to a human, they might just have sheer heart attacks and drop dead.

In my parents' defense, they did have a point that land dwellers were not to be trusted. Having been to the surface many times, I was by now unfazed by the frontman's threats from earlier and the drummer's predatory stare. I'd gotten myself into some trouble over the years. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. However, my worst fear was getting ensnared in a hunter's net. That would signal the end of my life as I knew it because there was no escape. Still, I risked everything venturing to the surface to explore and expand my music collection. If it wasn't for rock and roll and the cool looking four wheeled boats the people drove around in, I'd just say fuck it and avoid the surface altogether. Then again, life would be pretty boring if I stayed put in the water. I'd just continue struggling through my program to become a dull dentist. Either way, I would end up miserable.

The drummer picked up the maracas and dangled them over the water. "You seem to be eyeing these." He said.

"I've been waiting for hours to get my hands on those!" I exclaimed, swimming directly below the stage. As I should have expected, when I reached up to grab the maracas, the drummer took hold of my arm. In one strong motion, he flung me up onto the stage. I struggled against his grip knowing that I couldn't last long outside of the water.

The drummer's bandmates reappeared and applauded him. "Way to go!" "You caught out little thief!" "Our plan worked perfectly!" Their words all molded together into one menacing chant. I stared up at the drummer in horror as he pinned me down against the stage. There was a sharp pain in the side of my neck as my gills shriveled up. "L-let me go!" I gasped.

"No way, pretty face." He said, "We've been trying to catch you for weeks now. We won't let you get away that easily. Someone needs to teach you a lesson. No one fucks with the instruments of Lost Luggage." He ran his other hand down my tail, painfully digging his fingernails into the blue scales. "What should we do with our little mermaid, boys?"

"I-I'm not a mermaid...I'm a siren." I sputtered, managing to spit in his face. I was running out of air and my skin was turning as blue as my eyes and tail. There was only one way I was going to get myself out of this mess. When all else failed, I would turn to the one trick that always worked. I was going to make these wankers fall madly in love with me. " _Aaaaah_!" I crooned with my last breath.

Sure enough, the drummer released his grip on my arm. His eyes dilated and he went into a daze. Now completely under my spell, he leaned down to kiss me. I successfully pushed him away as his bandmates fought with him, also eager to kiss me because they too were affected by my sirening. With a few thrusts of my tail, I was able to flip myself back into the water. I popped back up and laughed at the men's confused faces as they blinked away their lovestruck feelings created by my high note.

"Don't fuck with a siren!" I shouted. I snatched the maracas and disappeared back into the water, making sure to splash my tail just enough to leave the band members soaking wet.

That was a close call, but it was definitely worth it. These were great sounding maracas and would have a perfect home in my collection. Satisfied, I shook them enjoying the sound of their rattle as I dove down deep to my secret grotto hidden behind some seaweed vines. I set my maracas down beside my drumsticks on a piece of coral. Once I confirmed that no one had followed me down here, I put on the Jimi Hendrix Experience. After hearing the god awful drumming from that creep, I was in the mood for some Mitch Mitchell. Perhaps I'd follow it up with Ringo Starr afterwards. I shut my eyes, admiring the flow of the rhythm. Surface music was the best thing in the world! It was such a shame that I had to hide my love for it.

It wasn't like all things relating to surface culture were outright banned, but they were definitely frowned upon. What confused me the most was our reluctance to incorporate music into our lives. "Melodies are used for sirinening only. Never for pleasure." I was told repeatedly. Apparently the reasoning behind that was due to our powerful siren voices being able to carry incredible volume. The noise would alert the land dwellers to our existence and we'd be exposed. I understood how serious of a threat the surface could be especially after my run in with that band. However, I found it ridiculous to stifle music because of a few warranted fears. Regardless of what I thought, it was clear that my rockstar dreams would likely never come true.

I was told that muse culture was pretty much the same as siren culture when it came to music. "Don't sing for fun. Sing for purpose." Although from what I heard, there weren't many muses left up on the surface. Our land cousins were nearly extinct thanks to the work of hunters, but our population wasn't doing much better either.

It seemed like almost every day my family would receive news that a friend or relative had been snagged in a hunter's net and was taken away on a boat never to be heard from again. I had nightmares about those fucking nets. Once stuck in one, there was no way out. Making your captor want to kiss you can only get you so far when you're tangled in a net with nowhere to go. Sometimes being a siren was so useless. I was envious of muses. They could do so much more with their voices. All I could do was charm people, and it was more like lust than authentic love.

I kept my grotto and drumming desires a secret because the other sirens, my family included, just wouldn't understand. Clare had discovered my grotto by accident a few years back, but she swore she would never tell anyone. Although Clare and I looked a lot alike with long blonde hair and blue tails matching our eyes, we couldn't be anymore different. My sister was everything my parents wanted me to be: smart, well mannered and obedient. Unlike me, I was sure that when she got older she wouldn't protest when Mom and Dad steered her in the direction of becoming a doctor (or in my case dentist). She'd do it with a smile because Clare was always willing to please everyone around her. That was why she agreed to not tell a soul about my grotto. All she wanted was to make people happy.  _"Of course I'll keep your secret, Roggie, if it will make you happy. But one day when you meet your soulmate, you're going to have to tell him or her about it. You can't keep secrets from soulmates."_ Was what she told me.

I eyed the BHM on my hand. Having a relationship as a siren was tricky as we could force love onto anyone so it may not be genuine. Yet, my main concern was that my soulmate wouldn't like music. That would be a total letdown. I couldn't imagine being bound to someone who didn't share the same passion that was such a big part of my life.

"When we meet, the first thing that I'm gonna do is take you to this grotto." Sometimes I spoke out loud to the initials on my hand. It was dumb, but maybe somehow my soulmate could hear me. "I'm going to make you listen to the Jimi Hendrix Experience just like I am now. And you'd better like it. Because if you don't..."

I stopped myself. Was there such thing as a deal breaker when it came to soulmates? We were guaranteed to love each other for the rest of our lives once we found each other. I didn't know of a single pair of soulmates who didn't end up happily married, my parents included.

"You know what, fuck all that destiny shit! If you're not a classic rock fan I'm leaving you." I scoffed. "It's really nothing personal, BHM. I just feel really strongly about music. If you are my soulmate, then I know you'll feel the same way, and I'm worrying over nothing." I found myself rambling about nothing particular, a common theme when I spoke to BHM. "Maybe you could join my hypothetical rock band. In a perfect world, you'd be the guitarist, and we'd run away to the surface together to find a frontman who can dance and is totally fine having two mermen as his bandmates." I sighed, lost in thought.

I really really didn't want to be a fucking dentist. I hadn't gone to class in weeks and was on the verge of dropping out, but I wasn't sure what I'd do if I couldn't be a rockstar. I was counting on my soulmate to bring me happiness in my miserable career path.

"What's taking you so long to find me anyway? I've scoured the seas for you. Where the hell are you?" I cried.

"Roger?"

I gasped. "BHM? Is that you?" I frowned when Clare poked her head through the seaweed vines. When she saw me, she swam inside. "Talking to your soulmate again?" She giggled, "Are you bonding over your mutual love for Jimi Hendrix?"

"Something like that." I laughed knowing that the teasing was all in good fun. Clare was the one person I couldn't get mad at no matter how hard I tried, which was strange because I often got mad without even trying.

"These are new." Clare spotted the maracas. I didn't protest as she picked them up and gave them a rattle.

"It took me hours to steal them." I bragged. I left out the part where I almost died at the hands of humans because I didn't want her worrying about me.

"So instead of showing up to class, you go around stealing maracas." Clare summed up. "Have you told Mom and Dad that you're going to drop out yet?"

I shook my head. "What am I supposed to tell them? I'm sorry I'm such a fuck up."

"Oh, Roggie. You're not a fuck up. You just need to switch majors and find something that actually interests you. A lot of my older friends who are graduating next year say they want to be biology majors. Maybe you should try that. You get to dissect fish and do lots of experiments. That sounds like something you'd enjoy. I'm taking a lower level biology course with lab in high school now and it's pretty fun."

"You say that about school in general, Clare. You excel in every fucking subject, and you love it all. I'm not like you. I don't get straight A's. It's a miracle I even got into college in the first place." I cried, "There is nothing that interests me outside of rock and roll. Except maybe those four wheeled land boats that the humans drive in, but I can't build a career out of that."

"I wish you could be a rockstar like you want, but there's no place for it under the sea." She sighed, "I just want you to be happy, Roger."

"Is that what you came here to say? Because it's not making me feel happy." I said.

"I actually came to ask you for a little favor." Clare said hesitantly. She continued rather timidly, fidgeting her fingers against the blue scales of her tail which matched mine. "Um, so...I'm not a baby anymore. I'm sixteen years old...and well...all the other girls in school...t-they're all talking about how their parents started letting them go to the surface. A-and...I want to go too."

My baby sister was growing up. I had no problem with her traveling to the surface with her friends so long as she remained cautious and stayed far from the shore.

"It's scary the first time, but if you travel in a group and never leave the water, you'll be fine." I said.

It was actually a right of passage to venture to the surface with friends as a teen. I didn't understand what the big deal was. They typically would just poke their heads above the water for a few seconds and then dive back down. No harm done. My adventures, on the other hand, were much more dangerous because I went alone and traveled very close to shore.

Clare became less tense and spoke with more confidence when she realized that I wasn't going to stop her. "Mom and Dad won't let me go." She explained, "And the other girls' parents won't let me go with them if I don't have my parents' permission. There's another group of girls who go without their parents' permission, but they're not my friends, and I don't think they'd let me go with them. I'm too much of a goody-goody to join them."

It made sense that our parents barred her. To this day, I still didn't have their permission to go to the surface, but unlike Clare, I didn't give a shit about their rules. I was a part of that friend group who went without their parents' blessing. In hindsight, Clare was right to avoid them. Almost all of my friends had disappeared at the hands of a hunter. Those nets they sent down were ruthless. The only reason I kept getting away unscathed was because I was one lucky bastard. I wondered why I still love on when my friends were all dead all gone. Alone I was spared, and I didn't like to think about the friends I lost, so I pretended that I had been all alone from day one. My friends never existed. It was just me and my drums.

"Anyway, I thought maybe you could take me to the surface. If you don't mind." Clare requested.

"Of course I don't mind. I'll take you." I offered. It wasn't like I had anything else to do tonight. I was probably just going to fall asleep listening to the Beatles.

"Oh Roggie! Thank you! Thank you!" She squealed throwing her arms around me. "I was so scared you were going to say no like Mom and Dad and I would never get a chance to go and all the other girls would laugh at me for being so lame."

"You're not lame, Clare. Believe me I'd tell you if you were lame. I'm brutally honest. Do you wanna go now?"

Her blue eyes widened. "Now? Oh wow! Are you sure?"

"There's nothing to be afraid of." I assured her, "Just stay with me, alright? Don't go swimming off."

Obviously I would never take my precious baby sister anywhere close to shore. We'd just do the typical first surface experience. Ascend to the shallow, poke our heads up, take a look at the pretty stars, and then go back home. Easy as that. The real danger lurked on the beach in the distance, but we'd steer clear. I wouldn't let anything happen to Clare.

"Now if for some reason, and I mean a very very far fetched reason, we run into some trouble, I want you to swim away as fast as you can." I told her as we floated.

Clare was reluctant to tread any further."W-what if I can't swim away? If I'm caught in a net, I won't be able to get out."

"Don't worry about the nets. The hunters don't take their boats out this far from the shore. I'm taking us to a really safe spot. But I'm just saying that if for some reason a drunk sailor was dumb enough to travel this deep into the water and spots us, which isn't very likely mind you, all you have to do is swim away."

Clare bit her lip nervously. "And i-if he grabs me and pulls me u-up onto his boat like in all those horror stories?"

"You just siren him. He'll try to kiss you, and when he does you'll push him away. That'll catch him off guard. Then you can flip yourself back into the water." I instructed.

"What?" Clare cried.

"You siren him." I repeated, "He'll try to kiss you. You pu—"

"—Yeah. I heard all that, but h-how can you say all that so casually?"

"That's what you need to do, Clare. No questions asked. Got it?" I said sternly. I considered turning back since Clare was so inexperienced and helpless, but I knew that nothing bad would happen under my watchful eye.

"Roger...have you ever been caught?" Clare whispered.

My answer would only scare her, so I was vague on purpose. "Never in a net." Thank God that much was true. I could escape any situation so long as I wasn't ensnared in a trap. "But my trick always works. Siren 'em, catch 'em off guard, and escape before you run out of air."

"I-I've never actually sirened anyone before." Clare admitted.

How the hell were we related? What kind of siren never used their powers before? No one took those "only use it in an emergency" talks that they gave us in school seriously. I could only admire how pure Clare was. Although we were quite close, I never did manage to corrupt her with my rebellious ways, which I suppose was a good thing.

"Does it really work like they say it does? When you sing a note with magic does it lure everyone around you in?" Clare wondered.

"It does to the point that people will fight with each other to kiss you." I said, recalling how the band had quarreled over me.

She noticed the smirk on my face and lightly smacked my wrist. "Roger! You know that's not real love."

"It's the closest thing to real love I have at the moment." BHM was just taking too damn long to show up as far as I was concerned. I would never give up my quest to find my soulmate, but it sure was getting tedious.

"That's not true, Roggie. I love you. Mom and Dad love you. Your friends..." She stopped herself, but the mention of my lost companions still stung. "My friends are dead." I stated coldly. I was the big brother. I couldn't cry in front of Clare. So I pushed away any memories I had of my friends before they had all disappeared.

"You probably went to the surface with them a lot." Clare remarked.

"All the damn time." I reminisced, "I miss them so fucking much. It's not the same without them."

Fuck! My friends never existed. I didn't miss them because I never knew them. I willed myself to believe those lies like I had been doing for the past few years. I was strong. I couldn't cry in front of Clare. She was the baby, not me. I was supposed to protect her.

"ROGER!" Clare's petrified scream snapped me out of my thoughts.

The shadow of a net was looming over her head, and before I could react, the real thing emerged. It was the site of nightmares. Tight coiled ropes designed to constrict against whatever unlucky person happened to be swimming beneath it. This wasn't possible. Hunters didn't cast their nets this far from shore. I flicked my tail, moving faster than I ever knew I possibly could, pushing Clare out of the way in time.

"Go home, Clare!" I shouted as the net cascaded down on me. She was safe. That was all that mattered. "Roggie, no!" She wailed, reaching up toward me as I was catapulted to the surface.

The more I shoved against the ropes, the more they seemed to tighten around me. Soon my tail and limbs were squeezed by the tangled mess I had created, and my body was being compressed as the net contracted leaving me with almost no wiggle room. I barely had time to take in one last deep gulp of water before I was propelled up over the ocean. Still ensnared, I was launched onto the deck of a boat high above the water.

"They were right." A voice sneered, "The good catches are the furthest from the shore."

Feeling small and vulnerable, I stared up at my captor. He was a tall tan man with a hunter symbol on the side of his neck along with the initials of his soulmate, thankfully not RMT. I would die if my soulmate turned out to be a hunter. Reminding me of Thor, the hunter was grasping a hammer.

Even if I sirened him, I would still end up suffocating in this net which prevented me from escaping. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I gave it a shot anyway.  _"Aaaaah!"_ The hammer in the hunter's hand suddenly turned golden. I waited for his eyes to dilate and for him to fall under my spell, but nothing happened. 

"No, you don't, little fishy. Your siren tricks won't work on me so long as I'm holding my special weapon." He laughed, "So sing all you want. I won't be affected."

Damn it! I would have to wait for the hammer to fall if I wanted my magic to work on him. Even then, what good would it do? I was still trapped in this fucking snare. The world blurred as I ran out of air. I couldn't breath anymore. The hunter said something else to me, but I couldn't make out his words. I blacked out.

***

I woke up with a splitting headache. "C-Clare?" I slurred at the site of a blonde mermaid with a blue tail. It took me a second to realize that I was staring back at my own reflection. Shit! We did look a lot alike. Like an idiot, I swam closer and ended up bonking my head on the glass. "Fuck!"

I peered out beyond my reflection trying to determine where I had ended up. An overhead sign in the distance read Magical Auction House. The hunter must have brought me here to be sold to some land barbarian who would keep me as a pet. At least they had the decency to keep me in a tank of freshwater and not leave me out in open air to die. One glance around told me I was the only merman here. The others were all kept in dry cages about the same size as my tank. 

Maybe we could help each other escape somehow. I banged against the glass trying to get the attention of a tearful girl in the cage adjacent to my tank. An armed guard suddenly emerged alongside my reflection, pointing his gun directly at me. He mouthed something, but I couldn't hear him through the thickness of the glass. I gave him my middle finger. Still pointing his gun at my head, he reached down to press a button on the side of the tank. It must have triggered an underwater speaker because I could now hear what the guard had to say. "You'd better behave yourself, blondie, or else I'll fillet you like a salmon! That means no banging on the glass and no communicating with the others. Just swim around chasing your tail. Soon enough someone will show interest in you and take you off our hands." 

"Fuck you!" I shouted pounding my fist against the glass again. 

"Think you're so tough? Let's see what happens when I drain that tank and leave you flailing on the floor flopping around for air. You're not in the ocean anymore, so you need to learn how to play by our rules. That means--Oh!" The guard's entire demeanor shifted when he was approached by a man and woman. 

"Suzie!" He hugged the woman, "It's always so great to see you, my dear. How are your husband and children?"

"Wonderful." Suzie replied with a warm smile. "I was just showing around our latest bidder." She gestured to the man she was with. "Do you mind if I let him examine this siren?"

"No, of course not." The guard said kindly. "Be my guest." He glared at me before walking away to give the duo a chance to look me over. I gave them both a death stare, but it didn't bother them.

"So here we have a male siren, pretty rare." Suzie announced, "We start the bidding for sirens at $600." 

"I'm worth more than that, you fucking bitch!" I spat, "I should at least go for $1000." 

"What's he saying?" The man leaned in closer to the tank. He was slender with a mustache and sneaky eyes. I didn't trust any of these assholes, but I knew this man in particular stood out as someone who shouldn't be messed with. 

"We currently have the speaker set up in the tank so he can hear us but we can't hear him. If you plug in these headphones you'll be able to have a conversation." Suzie explained. "Although I wouldn't recommend it. He could try to siren you." 

The man didn't take her warning into account and forcefully grabbed the headphones from her. I considered my options. If I sirened him, he would just declare his love for me. It wouldn't get me out of this tank, so it would be pretty pointless. 

"Siren, can you hear me?" He asked in an Irish accent. 

"Why the hell are you interested in me?" I demanded. 

"My old pet ran away. I need a replacement. You literally cannot run from me, so you will be quite perfect." 

Kudos to this scumbag's old "pet" for escaping. If he took me, I vowed to spend the rest of my life trying to get away from him and back to the ocean. One day I'd be back in my grotto. I'd reunite with my family.

"Sing for me." The man ordered. "Don't you dare tell me what to do!" I snapped. 

"How dare you use that tone with me when I'm willing to take you in! You're no better than Farrokh, so fucking ungrateful." 

"Mr. Prenter," Suzie intervened, "We don't appreciate that kind of language here."

I rolled my eyes. She tolerated kidnapping people and parading them around in cages to be sold like animals, but she drew the line at profanity. 

"You want my money, don't you?" Mr. Prenter hissed.

"Of course we do, but--"

"--Then shut the fuck up and let me see if this siren is worth the bargain!" 

Part of me was thrilled to see that bitch put in her place, but Mr. Prenter was yelling at her at my expense. For once in my life, I purposefully kept my mouth shut, dramatically shaking my head when he asked me to sing again. 

"This is ridiculous!" He cried, violently tearing off the headphones. In a frenzy, he turned back to Suzie who was still red in the cheeks from being screamed at. "Are you sure you haven't captured any runaway muses?" 

"I told you muses are very rare. We haven't had one in years. You should have watched yours better so he didn't run away to begin with. Now, are you going to place a bid on the siren or should I show you some of the other creatures available?" 

"Well I'd prefer a creature that can sing on demand. What good is a muse or siren otherwise?" Mr. Prenter scoffed. 

"I'm not your damn play thing!" I shouted, but his headphones were removed so he couldn't hear me. 

Out of nowhere, a blinking red light went off on the side of my tank. The number 600 was displayed along with the flashing light. "Oh!" Suzie gasped, "It seems that someone else has taken interest in this siren and has placed a bid. 

Mr. Prenter clicked another button on the side of the tank and the number changed to 650. "I'm not letting you get away, fishy boy. I need you." 

700\. Someone else really wanted me, but who could it be? I looked around and spotted a group of people tapping buttons on a machine in the distance. Several of the cages also had flashing lights and numbers going off. Could they bid from that machine? Mr. Prenter tried again. I was up to 800. This mystery person upped the momentum bringing my worth up to 1000. I knew it! I should have started at $1000 not $600. 

"Shit! I need to steal more money." Mr. Prenter declared before storming out of the room. 

"Attention auctioneers! Item 39, the male siren, has been sold for $1000 to a representative from Scaramouche University. Congratulations to all of our bidders!"  

Did I dodge a bullet or was I heading straight into the fire? There was no way of knowing what would happen to me next. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like Paul did not get Roger after all, but does that mean he's safe? We'll have to wait and see. For the record, I made up the band name Lost Luggage, but if there is a real band with that name that exists, then my sincerest apologies. Let me know what you guys think about this chapter. The next chapter will be a Freddie chapter. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!!


	6. Sheer Heart Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone from Freddie's past literally threatens his new life with Deaky and Brian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all thank you for over 1000 hits! This is another long chapter full drama, but the fluffiest moment yet comes at the end to make up for it. As always please continue to leave comments and kudos. I love hearing from you guys.

_Freddie's POV_

I blinked open my eyes, the memory of my fuzzy dream already beginning to fade. There was a man and woman. I searched my mind trying to recreate the features of the couple. They were dark skinned like me, most likely sharing my Persian muse roots. The woman was pregnant, but they were they both crying. All I could remember was them sobbing. But why? Oh well. It was just a dream. I doubted it meant anything.

The curtains were drawn, and there wasn't a single speck of light seeping into the room. I squinted, trying to make out the time on the alarm clock. 5:39. Why the bloody hell was I up this early? Brian was usually the first one up, and even he didn't rise until around 6:30 or 7. I flopped back down on the bed, but before I could close my eyes again, a startling realization hit me. Delilah was curled up by my feet sleeping soundly, but there was no one next to me. I was devoid of Deaky's touch. Where was John? Since healing him, he had stopped glitching and was embracing his shapeshifting powers, so I knew he couldn't be invisible.

The moment I got out of bed, Delilah opened her sleepy cat eyes, yawning and mewling fussily. "Shh." I hushed her as I tiptoed out of the bedroom in search of Deaky.

I couldn't help but smile when I found him in the kitchen, dancing the early morning away as he whisked the pancake batter. John insisted on cooking breakfasts and dinners to repay Brian for his kindness. It was nice to have a boyfriend who knew how to cook. I was pathetically useless in the kitchen. The last time I attempted to make something, it nearly ended in disaster. I laughed recalling Paul's disgusted face as he spit out my food.  _"You're lucky demons aren't susceptible to food poisoning."_ Burning down Brian's flat was definitely not on my agenda, so I left the cooking up to Deaky. They put me in charge of the wardrobe and writing the hits. Well they would be hits if we ever formed a band. Brian was still against the idea, and I worried that Deaky only proposed it to make me happy. Either way, it wouldn't happen unless we found a drummer and even then it would be a risky endeavor.

"Morning, love." John put down the bowl and whisk and went to peck me on the cheek. I returned the favor with a kiss just as soft, but this one landed on his lips instead of his cheek.

"What are you doing up so early, darling?" I yawned.

"I couldn't sleep. That dumb ABBA song was stuck in my head. I decided to get a head start on breakfast. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No. You didn't wake m—Wait. Did you just call ABBA dumb?" I clicked my tongue disapprovingly as Deaky only shrugged and went back to the whisking the batter. This simply wouldn't do.

 _"Friday night and the lights are low..."_ I crooned.

"Stop!" John protested.

_"...Looking out for a place to go..."_

"Oh, Freddie." He rolled his eyes as I continued to sing.

_"Where they play the right music_

_Getting in the swing_

_You come to look for a king._

_Anybody could be that guy_

_Night is young and the music's high_

_With a bit of rock music_

_Everything is fine_

_You're in the mood for a dance_

_And when you get the chance..."_

"Screw it!" John cried at last when I reached the chorus. Unable to resist himself, he started to dance. Success! Disco Deaky had arrived.

"... _You are the dancing queen_

_Young and sweet_

_Only nineteen..."_

"It's seventeen, Fred."

"I know that, dear." I winked.

_"...Dancing queen_

_Feel the beat from the tambourine..."_

I was surprised when Deaky belted out "Oh yeah!" along with me. I had never heard him sing before. His cheeks turned red in embarrassment as our eyes locked. I flashed him a smile, assuring him that with me there was no need to ever hold back.

_"...You can dance_

_You can jive_

_Having the time of your life_

_Ooh, see that boy_

_Watch that scene_

_Deaky's the dancing queen."_

John shocked me by playfully swatting my ass with his whisk. I was usually the flirtatious one. Deaky was always more timid and never this direct in his advances. I gasped in delight. Feigning anger to tease him, I raised my voice. "John Richard Deacon, did you just spank me?"

The whisk fell from his suddenly trembling fingers. All signs of playfulness disappeared from his face as he paled. "I-I'm sorry, Freddie. I didn't mean it. I swear I won't do it again."  _'I'm no better than Tim.'_ he thought, ' _Freddie has every right to mad and disgusted with me. Why would I hit him like that?'_  It broke my heart whenever Deaky thought of Tim. Now he was comparing his sweet self to that monster, and it was wrong. Even though I referred to it as a spank, it didn't even qualify as a hit as far as I was concerned. It was a teasing loving tap that didn't hurt one bit.

"Oh, Deaky." I sighed, gently enveloping him in my arms, "It's alright. I know you didn't mean any harm. In fact I quite liked it to be honest, but that's beside the point. I don't want you to ever think so lowly of yourself. I love you and I would never be disgusted with you. You are nothing like Tim. Do you understand me, darling?"

"I-I didn't hurt you?"

I shook my head. "Not in the slightest, and even if you had, I know you would never ever do so on purpose."

"Okay." Still shaken, John hesitantly returned to the pancake batter. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, trailing sweet kisses to the base of his neck. "Y-you're t-tickling me." He yelped in a fit of laughter. "Freddie...S-stop!"

"Alright, alright." I caved planting one final kiss right below his ear. "Are you feeling better, Deaks?"

"Mmhmm."

Delilah poked her head through the bedroom door. ' _Are you two being cuter than me again?'_ She mewled. ' _Because we can't have that happen.'_

"It's impossible to be cuter than you." I told her. "Is Brian still sleeping or did our antics wake him?"

' _He's up. He'll be out in a minute. I want breakfast. I'm hungry.'_

"Good morning to you, too, Delilah." I said sarcastically.

"Is she giving you her usual sassy cattitude?" Deaky asked, his focus still on the pancakes. It was so easy to forget that he couldn't understand her like I could.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I remarked as I fetched the cat food. That was only type of food I could prepare properly because it was nearly impossible to mess up. All you had to do was pour the pebbles into the dish.

' _Thanks, Freddie.'_  Delilah purred in appreciation before diving into her meal. "You're very welcome, darling."

' _Do you wanna try and prank Brian again?'_ John spoke to me mentally in case Brian could hear us from the other room. I knew precisely what kind of prank he wanted to pull. Over the past month, I had been encouraging Deaky to use his shapeshifting skills to turn into various celebrities to lead Brian to believe we were be visited by some star powered guest. The first few times Brian fell for it, but by now, I was sure he wouldn't even bat an eye if he saw Mick Jagger in our kitchen making pancakes. Still, it was fun, and Deaky seemed to enjoy finally being able to use his powers. Shapeshifting didn't drain him like my powers did either.

"Who do you want to be?" I whispered eagerly. 

He grinned sneakily. ' _I have an idea.'_ I watched in awe as Deaky's features darkened and his jawline became sharper. His brown hair turned black and the length was clipped to his shoulders. "Me?" I gasped in disbelief, staring back at the mirror image of myself. "Why me, darling?"

"I don't know. I just felt like it." Hearing his voice come out of my mouth was unnerving. It was clear that this imposter wasn't me from the way he so toothily smiled. I cringed at the site of my overbite on full display. I imagined my Deaky as he should be beaming widely with that adorable gap in his teeth instead.

' _You're so beautiful, Freddie.'_ John thought well aware that I could hear the compliment. "As are you, my dear." I told him. Deaky's signature blush on my high cheekbones was an interesting spectacle.

As casually as possible, John shifted his attention back to the stove. I tried to keep a straight face when Brian walked into the room. He was completely unfazed by the odd site of two Freddies. "Why are you two up so early?" He asked.

"Aren't you at least going to pretend to be alarmed by my duplicate?" I cried.

"I know it's Deaky. You can't surprise me anymore." Brian stated.

"Ah man!" John pouted, transforming back to himself. "How'd you know it was me? Our scents are merged, so I know the smell didn't give me away."

Curiously I sniffed my arm expecting my usual muse scent, but Deaky was right. It was mixed with that of a shapeshifter creating a unique blend. How long had this been going on? I didn't mind it, of course, but it was strange that it took me so long to notice. Our scents weren't supposed to merge until we exchanged our vows. Soulmates could officially declare themselves married without any formalities. The marriage would be upheld legally based on the scent the pair gave off. I wondered why we smelled like a married couple when we had only been dating for a month.

"What are you talking about?" Brian asked, inhaling our scents. "You still smell like a shapeshifter. There's no trace of muse in your scent and I can't pick up your scent on Freddie either."

So it appeared that only we could smell each other's combined scents. Odd. I didn't think much of it. I loved Deaky and that was all that mattered.

"I also knew it was you, John, because Freddie doesn't cook." Brian said.

Not wanting to feel totally useless, I offered a service. "Can I make you coffee?"

"Not the coffee machine!" Brian and Deaky shouted in unison. I did nearly break it the one time I attempted to use it. All the bloody buttons were just too confusing. "I'll go get us the newspaper." I decided.

I popped a magic suppressant pill before stepping outside to grab the newspaper. You could never be too careful. I eyed the doors of the neighbors cautiously. It was irrational to believe that at any moment someone could run out shouting "Muse! Muse! Muse!" I had been undercover for a month now and none of the sort had happened. In fact my colleagues and students at my new job in the university all seemed to adore me. So far no one was suspicious. I assured myself that my fears were all in my head.

However the headline on the front cover the Civilization Times was unsettling. ' _Rockstar Ziggy Stardust Exposed as Shapeshifter!'_

"Ziggy's like me?" Deaky exclaimed.

' _Stardust agreed to turn himself in to the auction house, but he never showed up to the police department to be taken into custody. Authorities suspect that Stardust is living under an alter ego and is using his powers to achieve this deception. Fans of the rockstar refuse to report him if he is caught undercover despite jeopardizing themselves by breaking the law. The whereabouts of Stardust remain unknown, but hunters everywhere are on high alert for the presence of shapeshifters. In the meantime, all Ziggy Stardust albums have officially been removed from stores, and his music will no longer be played on the radio...'_

Brian ripped the page and crumbled it up into a ball. "What the fuck, darling?" I cried, "I was reading that!"

"I just can't stand it! There's nothing I can do to stop any of these injustices, and it's maddening. Why can't they just stop and realize what it is they're doing to all these innocent people? Everyone loves Ziggy. He's amazing. How could the entire industry turn their back on him like this?" Brian ranted.

He was absolutely right, but what could we do? I was just thankful that Ziggy did manage to escape. I couldn't imagine one of my favorite musicians who I admired so much being reduced to a cattle in the auction house. No one should be stripped of their dignity like that, let alone Ziggy Stardust.

"I can't bring myself to read the rest either." Deaky murmured, "I've lost my appetite. Does anyone want my pancakes?"

' _I'll take 'em.'_  Delilah licked her lips.

"No, darling! No more people food. You say you can handle it but then you always get a tummy ache." I scolded.

"It must be so hard for Ziggy to keep up a different form for so long." Deaky remarked, "I can barely go twenty minutes without feeling uncomfortable. Ziggy may just have to spend the rest of his life as someone else."

"It's better than spending the rest of his days in a laboratory." I found myself saying. I was willing to live with Paul in the tower for the exact same reason. Magical creatures do what they have to in order to survive in this world even if it's far from optimal.

"I just wish there was something I could do." Brian said.

"You've already done so much to help us." I insisted, "Maybe today will be the day when we finally repay you and find RMT."

"I've got more important things to worry about than finding my soulmate." He dismissed. "Besides, you've both already repaid me."

' _Especially you, Freddie.'_ He indicated nonverbally so Deaky wouldn't feel left out. ' _I got a raise because of all the money you brought to the university. I don't know how you got your art classes to fill so quickly. Everyone seems to love you. With my bonus and your new income, we don't have to worry about paying rent anymore.'_

"Yes, but you were the one who got me the job." I reminded him.

"You created these new lives for us." Deaky chimed in, "If it wasn't for you, Brimi, I don't even want to think about what would have happened to me, and Freddie would still be in the tower."

"Well, you both deserved better." Brian said, "So you don't owe me. You two are my friends. That's enough."

' _What about me?'_  Delilah jumped up onto Brian's lap and purred. ' _I'm your friend too, right? Tell me you love me the most!'_

"Delilah, you little attention seeker, leave him alone!" I laughed.

"It's fine, Fred. She can stay on me. I don't mind really."

' _Back off, Little Dipper! I'm his favorite pet now.'_ She meowed, nestling herself against Brian's chest.

"So they announce professor of the year tomorrow." Brian said as he pet Delilah. Both he and Deaky were giving me knowing smiles.

"Don't be daft, darlings. I've only been working at the university for a month. Why would I ever be awarded professor of the year?"

"Because you filled three classes overnight and there's a waitlist. The university's never seen such a high enrollment rate. Everyone wants a seat in Professor Mercury's class." Brian reasoned.

"I still don't understand why I'm so popular. They're nothing more than freestyle painting and drawing classes. I don't even bring in naked models for the kids to paint. Believe me I wanted to, but I was told the university doesn't have the funding to hire any live models. All I can get is a boring bowl of fruit. How cliche and dull."

"I'd take a fruit bowl over a live model any day." Deaky said, his cheeks flushing again. "I can't imagine how embarrassing it must be to paint a naked person."

Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into my head. "When we're in a band we should do a naked photoshoot." I proposed.

"That will never happen." Brian said sternly.

"Which part? The band or the photoshoot?"

"Both." He replied bluntly.

"You're no fun at all, darling."

Although after hearing what had happened to Ziggy even I was beginning to grow weary of the band idea.

***

Every seat was taken in the lecture hall style classroom. I really failed to see what all the fuss was about. It was only me. The class chattered and gathered their art supplies as I made my way to the front of the room.

"AY-OH!" I projected to get the students' attention.

"AY-OH!" For some reason they always mimicked me when I did that, but I just went along with it, improvising some musical notes, high and low, eager to hear their voices even though we were supposed to be painting instead of singing. This was how I began every class, and the routine usually ended in a boisterous applause to which I bowed.

I remained cognizant of the magic potential unfurling through my veins whenever I used my voice. The magic suppressants really helped me pull myself back so I wouldn't start glowing, but I knew what I was doing was quite risky.

"Okay, my darlings, I have another lovely fruit bowl for you to paint. So let's get started. Remember this week we're working on contrasting shades. I'll be walking around to help if you need it."

In the meantime, I set up my own canvas and started to work on a sketch of Delilah. Lately I had been painting a lot of portraits of Deaky, and I didn't want my precious feline friend to feel replaced as she used to be most frequent model. Maybe I'd write Delilah a song as well, but that would have to wait until after I finished my latest love song to serenade Deaky.

 _"I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings_  
 _Be a Valentino just for you.."_ The words teased at my lips. I discarded the canvas and reached for an ordinary piece of paper so I could write these lyrics down, singing them to myself in a tone I believed soft enough for no one to hear.

After a while, I began to walk around as promised to see how the fruit bowls were coming along. Holding back as much as I could, I hummed the melody softly to myself as I waltzed up and down the aisles examining the canvases. Every now and then I paused to critique a brush stroke or use of color.

"Professor Mercury?" A girl called out.

"Yes, dear?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you sing like a muse?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I hadn't been careful enough after all. This girl was going to expose me. It would be the end of everything. I'd end up back in a lab fighting for my life. No Deaky, no Brian. I might even lose Delilah. The panic that erupted within me was practically palpable.

"W-What are you talking about?" I tried to keep a level voice.

She frowned. "You've never heard that expression before? You sing like a muse. Well it's a good thing. It means you have a really beautiful voice."

I let out a sigh of relief. It was only an expression. No need to become paranoid. I would just use this as a lesson to be more cautious going forward.

"We're all wondering why you're teaching art." She continued, "I mean you're good at it, but you're so much better at singing."

"I only signed up for this class to hear you sing." The girl next to hear chimed in.

"Same." A boy in back of us blurted.

"Yeah I hate painting," Someone else interjected, "but when I heard about the handsome professor with the magical singing voice I decided to take this as an elective."

"Darlings, I'm flattered, but these fruits won't paint themselves. Let's get back to work."

"Can you sing for us, Professor Mercury?" "Please." "It'll inspire us to paint." Before I knew it, the entire class was begging to hear my voice.

This was probably not the brightest idea, but I couldn't believe that I had gained my very first fans. I toyed with the idea of letting loose and singing for them as I did in the shower or for Deaky and Brian. "You know it's my dream to be a rockstar." I admitted.

"I picture you more as an operetta." A girl said. "A fucking sexy operetta." My supersonic muse ears were able to pick up on the comment made under another girl's breath. That probably wasn't meant for me to hear but it amused me nonetheless.

"And who says I can't do both?" I challenged, "I could be a rock opera star."

If I weren't a muse I'd have done it already and I'd be following my dreams as a musician selling out stadiums. It was nothing more than the asinine and ignorant laws holding me back. I was tempted to say fuck it and just sing for these kids, but what if I started to glow? While the magic suppressants did help, it was still difficult to control at times.

"Mind if I interrupt?" John Reid, the president of the university and therefore my boss, entered the room.

"No of course not." I said politely, "Come on in. We're just painting fruit bowls."

"President Reid, you're just in time! Professor Mercury is going to sing for us." Someone in the back exclaimed and the whole class cheered.

Reid gasped. "Freddie, you can sing? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"You never asked." I replied. ' _And Brian specifically warned me not to do or say anything "musey" when he got me the interview with you.'_ I thought. As badly as I itched to show off my pipes and bask in the glory of the applause, nothing was worth risking this new life. My fifteen minutes of fame would cost me a lifetime of torture in a lab.

"Well, are you any good?" Reid inquired.

"He sings like a muse." The same girl excitedly proclaimed. I cringed. "Darling, please stop saying that."

"Ah, he's just being humble. Don't listen to him. He's actually really good."

"Then let's hear it." Reid prompted. "Sing something for us, Freddie."

"Oh no. I won't put you through that. Without the accompaniment of my piano, I'll be incredibly off key." That was a blunt lie. I couldn't even sing off key if I tried. Believe me I've tried. Spending ten years in a tower, you find yourself doing odd things to combat boredom; attempting to purposefully sing off key on a cat's dare is one of those odd things.

"You play piano too?" Reid asked eagerly.

Fuck! I said too much. I shook my head. "I'm not much better at that either I'm afraid." I fibbed. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

"The music professor quit this morning." He announced, "Apparently a bunch of musicians are striking to show their support for Ziggy Stardust."

"They should." I blurted before I realized what I had just said. "I don't think his music should be banned just because he's a shapeshifter."

Reid shrugged. "To each his own. I do really like Ziggy's music, but we need to send a message. Magical creatures shouldn't be tolerated in places where they don't belong. Luckily we have the auction houses and resources available to keep them in their place. If they don't want to use their magic for the betterment of society in the way we see fit, then they're better off in the outskirts as far as I'm concerned."

"I think they should be treated like human beings rather than pets and test subjects." I said sharply.

"But that's the thing, Freddie. They're not human. They're not like you and me and the hunters. If left to their own devices, they'd use their magic to swindle and endanger us. At least this way their powers are put to good use and no one gets hurt. It's a win win situation if you ask me."

It was a win win situation for everyone except those who ended up in a cage. I was wise enough to keep my mouth shut at this point.

"Why did you come to see me, dear?" I tried to steer the subject away from magical creatures and singing.

"Oh, I have a surprise for you." Reid said. He boldly spoke to my class. "Consider yourselves dismissed."

As the students filed out of the class, Reid headed toward the door as well and gestured for me to follow. I expected us to travel down the hall to his office, but instead I found myself trailing him on a brisk walk across campus.

I tensed as we approached the science building. There was nothing to be afraid of I told myself. Brian chose to work at this university because it was the only one in the civilization that didn't experiment on people like me. I sought comfort knowing that my Deaky was in this building tucked away safe and sound crunching numbers in the engineering lab. Brian worked here as well. He would protect us. Nothing bad was going to happen. The scariest part was passing through the magic detectors which was a breeze thanks to the magic suppressants.

"So why did you bring me here?" I asked as we went inside.

"Well as you know tomorrow I announce professor of the year and boast about our latest expansions and programs to all of our donors." Reid said, "And Freddie, I'm telling you in advance that you're the one receiving the award."

I gasped. So Brian and John were correct in assuming that I'd be celebrated tomorrow. "I'm honored, but I've only been here for a month. I can't be that bloody good."

"You are, Freddie. I don't know what you're secret is. You've managed to get all of your students to fall in love with you. I've never seen so many raving reviews for a professor in such a short period of time, and the money you've raised for the university through the enrollment spike is enough to fund...well that's why I'm telling you all this here." I blindly followed Reid down the hall. "Perhaps telling you isn't the best word. I'm going to show you what you made possible."

While I was still intrigued by what Reid was telling me, I got distracted when we passed the engineering lab. I peered into the window of the isolated room in the corner where Deaky sat hunched over a desk working diligently with a pencil and calculator. I knocked on the window to get his attention. At first there was confusion, but the pure joy that lit up on my love's face when he saw me made me swell with pride and affection. He waved to me and I blew him a kiss.

"That's the most I've seen John Deacon interact with anyone." Reid noted.

"He's my soulmate." I said with a bragging smile.

"That boy is so quiet I'm surprised he even has a soulmate. He can never look me in the eye. Thank goodness Brian vouched for him otherwise I wouldn't have known how much of an asset he was. John's brilliant despite his timidity. I hope you can get him out of his shell." Reid remarked.

No matter what anyone else thought, I was proud of John's progress. Soon I'd be able to build his confidence enough so he could be a proper rockstar. I didn't want to mold Deaky into someone else. I accepted that he was shy and introverted. Those weren't things I planned on changing. I loved him exactly as he was, and all I hoped to do was help him learn to love himself.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Reid asked as we ventured downstairs.

"I thought being professor of the year was my surprise." I said, confused.

"Yes but that's only part of the surprise. The next part is the project we were able to fund thanks to the revenue you brought in."

At the bottom of the stairwell was a steel door tightly shut with a corresponding sign that read Authorized Personnel Only. Reid put his face in front of a recognition scanner and was granted access. The steel doors slid open with an earsplitting creek.

I was all too familiar with the cold sterile environment hidden behind the secured doors. There were all sorts of bottles, needles and syringes neatly stored throughout the room. The persnickety organization could make you forget they were instruments of torture. However, the attention, as it should be, was the grand opus presented in the center of the room. A small pool with a wired fencing around it contained a siren who had barely enough room to swim around.

Sirens were muses of the sea; we considered them cousins. As such this miserable merman entrapped in the pool was the closest thing to family I had. He was a beautiful creature with long blonde hair and a shimmering blue tail matching his sad and irritated eyes. I knew that I had to find a way to get him out of this nightmare, but for now my biggest concern was my own safety and Deaky's. It was only a matter of time until we were exposed and ended up in cages alongside the pool.

"Now that we purchased our very first specimen from the auction house, we can finally compete with all the other universities and be taken seriously." Reid proclaimed. "But none of this would be possible without you, Freddie. The money from your classes allowed us to fund the project. We're going to unveil our plans to the donors tomorrow after I announce you as professor of the year."

Upon hearing this news, the siren grew violent, fisting against the walls of the tank. If looks could kill, I'd be a dead man because the chilling stare he gave me was murderous. I wanted nothing more than to break down and cry as he popped his head out of the water glaring at me with furious blue eyes. "You did this to me, you son of a bitch!" He shouted, his voice slightly raspy, "I fucking hate you!"

I shook my head fighting back the tears. ' _Please forgive me.'_ I thought. ' _I've been in your position. I wouldn't wish it on anyone in the world. I didn't know this would happen to you. If only I could tell you how deeply sorry I am, darling, but my remorseful words won't end this hell you're in.'_

"You're speechless I see!" Reid took my silence into account.

"I swear when I get out of here, I'm going to make you fuckers wish you never—Aaah!" When the merman's hand came in contact with the fence above the pool, he was badly shocked. "Fuck!" He screamed in agony sucking down on his hand. It appeared to have a serious burn mark from the high voltage zap.

Instinctively I found myself walking toward the pool yearning to use my voice to heal him and comfort him. "Get the fuck away from me!" The siren snarled.

' _I know you're mad at me, but I promise I'm going to get you out of here somehow.'_ I silently vowed.

Before I could get any closer to the siren, I spotted a man in the corner checking the PH levels of the water. I froze in a complete panic as I recognized him as the most twisted of the scientists who held me captive.

"Stop whining, you pathetic fish! Save your voice for the tests we need to run on you!" It was a voice that haunted my nightmares. I made a promise to myself and Delilah that we'd never hear him speak or see his face again, but here he was in the flesh. A sadist disguised in a white lab coat.

"Freddie, this is Bob, our new leading scientist. Bob, this is Freddie, the reason we can afford to pay you." Reid introduced us even though I was quite familiar with Bob already.

He looked exactly the same as he did a decade ago. Tall and slender with short reddish brown hair and menacing black eyes. His thin lips curled upward in a forced smile. "I feel like we've met before." Bob said reaching out to shake my hand.

' _"Stop struggling, you stupid muse! You're only making it harder on both of us when you fight back like this."_

_"No!" I screamed attempting to kick him off of me, but his slender body was the equivalent to the Incredible Hulk when pinned up against the frail skinny state I'd withered away to._

_With almost no trouble at all, he was able to plunge the rusty needle deep into my paper thin skin. I screamed in pain, knowing that this was only a preamble of what was to come once I actually got sick._

_"I hope that hurt more than it should have." He sneered, "You know, Bucky, for all this talk of how special you are and how much we can use you, I say you're not worth the effort."_

_As I curled myself into a ball writhing from the_ _anguish_ _, he unsurprisingly found a way to make it worse. He kicked my chest repeatedly until I heard a crack._

_"Oops. I guess you'll have to heal some broken ribs as well. Have fun singing yourself to sleep with one of your dumb lullabies tonight."'_

"No I don't believe we've met." I shook Bob's hand with a firm grip.

His beady black eyes looked me over in suspicion. "I swear you remind me of someone. I just can't remember who. What did you say your name was again?"

"Freddi--Frederick. Fredrick Mercury." Would he put two and two together? I couldn't say my name was Freddie. It was too obvious.

"Your real name is Frederick?" Reid blurted, "I thought it was something more exotic."

"Farrokh!" Bob screamed out of the blue, "Yes. That's who you remind me of. That fucking muse who ruined my life."

"A muse ruined your life? Are you sure about that, darling? You seem like you're doing all right to me." My voice was cold as ice and its steadiness completely contrasted my internal hysteria.

Paul would take me back. He still needed me. If I got out of here in one piece, I'd run away back to the outskirts and beg the demon for forgiveness. Brian and Deaky could take care of Delilah. I wouldn't put it past Paul to kill Delilah to teach me a lesson about leaving him, so I couldn't bring her with me. There was no way he'd also let John stay with us, so this meant I was going to have to say goodbye to the love of my life. No, that was not an option. I wasn't leaving Deaky. We would have to run away together with Delilah and share a happy life in hiding.

"It's uncanny." Bob observed, "You look and sound just like him. Kind of eerie. If I didn't know any better I'd say..." His eyes narrowed. He made a grab for my sleeve, but I pulled away in time. "What the hell are you doing?" I cried.

"Farrokh had his muse marking on his arm."

"You're mad!" I accused, but my voice came out shaky and unconvincing. Bob knew exactly who I was. I was so fucked. What was I going to do?

"Roll up your sleeve and I'll be satisfied." Bob declared.

"Bob," Reid intervened, "I think you're being ridiculous. Freddie can't be a muse. He would've set off the magic detectors otherwise."

"He probably used magic suppressants." Bob reasoned.

I emptied my pockets revealing no pills. Thankfully Deaky was carrying our shared bottle so I didn't have any on me. "Are you happy now?"

Without warning, Bob pushed me up against the wall of the pool. "You ruined my life, Bucky." He growled in my face. "When you disappeared they blamed me, and my sorry ass was blacklisted. This was the first job I managed to get aside from scrubbing toilets in nearly a decade. I swore if I ever got my hands on you again I'd snap your dainty little neck."

"I-I'm not who you think I am." I desperately tried persuade him one last time, but I knew there was no use. His threat brought back all the memories of my years in in captivity. They were flashing before my eyes as if I were dying.

"Let's not be too drastic now!" Reid came to my aid prying Bob off of me. "I think this is a case of mistaken identity."

"You're not fooling anyone, you fucking muse!" He spat by my feet.

"That's enough!" Reid shouted, "Need I remind you that Freddie is the reason we can afford to pay you."

"Fine!" Bob backed off, "But do me a favor and keep him the hell out of my lab unless you plan on caging him."

Reid just shook his head. "I think we should go now, Freddie."

I bolted out the door without giving it another thought. I'd tell Brian about the siren. He'd play hero again, not me. I had to quit. Tonight I would leave for the outskirts. I couldn't force Deaky to come with me, but it would break my heart to leave him behind.

"I'm sorry about that." Reid casually dismissed Bob's behavior. "I would have him fired, but we can't afford anyone better at the moment. Don't let him rattle you. We all know you're not a muse. He must be crazy to think that. Well, your teeth are kind of musey. I'll admit that. That's probably why he called you Bucky."

"I was born with four extra incisors in the back of my mouth like a muse." The words came out mumbled and slurred because I was attempting to speak with my mouth shut to not draw anymore unwanted attention to my teeth.

"The good news is that with the raise you'll be getting from the professor of the year award you can afford to get them fixed." Reid patted me on the back. "I've got to get back to work. See you later!"

As soon as Reid's back was turn, I sprinted to the engineering lab, ignoring the questioning stares I got from the engineers as I shoved past them. I banged against the door where John had locked himself inside to focus on the math. "Deaky! Deaky! Open up! Please!" I desperately pounded.

"Easy!" An engineer pulled me back. "Deacon doesn't like company. You've gotta be gentle with him. Yelling at him like that will just scare him."

"He needs to focus. No distractions." Another one reprimanded. "You should go back to fooling around on the liberal arts side of campus. We're doing serious stuff here."

"Fuck off!" I shouted, "Deaky's my soulm--"

The door opened. "Freddie, I thought I heard you. What are you doing he--" I clung to my Deaky like a lifeline. I didn't mean to suffocate him in an overbearing hug, but I felt like my world was crumbling before my very eyed like a falling house of cards.

"It's okay, guys." Deaky assured the engineers, "Go back to work."

I didn't realize I was violently shaking until John helped me walk into the corner room to give us some privacy. He shut the door behind us. "Jesus, Freddie! What happened? You're a wreck!"

 _'He's always there for me when I get like this, so now I have to be there for him.'_ Deaky thought. It was true. Our roles were reversed, but I was too overwrought to think much of it. My chest was rising and falling and my heart was speeding. In the lab, I was once chemically brought to cardiac arrest and forced to sing to heal my heart while it was racing out of control. This was the closest I'd ever come to a sheer heart attack since then.

"Freddie, you're having a panic attack. Just sit down, okay?" Deaky pulled aside the desk chair for me to sit. "You're alright." He whispered. "Whatever happened, we'll get through it together."

Deaky cooed sweet loving words into my ear, gently squeezing my hand as we waited for my breaths to return to a normal pace. I focused on the calming presence that only my soulmate could provide me with, and soon enough I could think a little bit clearer.

I shook my head, wiping the tears from my eyes. "W-we need to leave." I stammered, "Tonight. You me and Delilah. Brimi will understand. We just...we can't stay here anymore. We'll be safer in the outskirts."

"You're not making any sense." Deaky put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back down into the chair. "Tell me what happened. Let's start with that."

"I-I was exposed." My voice was barely audible, but Deaky heard what I said.

Now it seemed that our roles had returned to the status quo because Deaky suddenly went into a full blown panic of his own. "NO!" He cried, "You weren't exposed. You weren't! You weren't!" He paced across the room in a trembling daze. "T-they're not...they're not going to take you away from me, Freddie. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't...I can't...If I lose you, I'll die."

I rose from my chair and went to comfort him. My own emotional needs could be put aside so I could console my love. "Shh. Shh. That's why I'm telling you this so we can plan. We're going to run away to the outskirts."

"We'll die in the outskirts, Freddie. We can't go there. Who caught you musing? Is there any way we could maybe convince them they were wrong?"

"Um, you remember when I told you that some of the scientists were outright sadists who derived pleasure from torturing me?" I sighed.

"I've been trying to forget." John mumbled.

"The very worst of them is here and he recognized me. He called me Farrokh. He knows who I am." I explained. "He knows  _what_ I am. We have no choice, Deaky. If I stay here any longer now that he's around, I'll risk ending up in a lab again."

"Farrokh Bulsara." Deaky said my real name breathing in and out rapidly. For a moment I thought he was going to collapse, but I let out a sigh of relief when he only shifted to get down on one knee. Wait!

"Marry me." John looked up into my eyes pleadingly. He was serious. I had never been so confused in my life.

"What the fuck are you doing, darling?" That came out harsher than I meant it.

"I'm asking you to marry me." John blinked back tears, "Official soulmate vows are always honored. We won't be separated if they take you. They'll agree  take me with you."

"No!" I cried. Memories of Delilah being tortured before my very eyes to motivate me to use my powers came to mind. "Deaky, do you have any idea what they'll do to you if you're kept with me. Every day they will try to kill you and there will eventually come a time when I'll be too drained to heal you. The only reason they honor soulmate vows is to take advantage of my love for you. I'll be more powerful if I'm singing to save you. That's what they want."

"Freddie, I'm not just asking because you've been exposed. I would want to marry you anyway. I know you feel the same way as me otherwise we wouldn't be able to smell each other's merged scents."

"Are those your vows, darling?" I wasn't entirely sure how this sacred process between soulmates worked.

"Just say yes, Freddie, and it will be official." John said.

"I love you." I declared. "For better or for worse, darling, my answer is yes."

I felt a wave of electricity pulse through my soul mark. I rolled up my sleeve to examine it. John's name appeared boldened and more prominent than before. And now even with our magic scents masked by the suppressants I could still smell him on me and vice versa. The combined scent evoked a strange memory of the two same people from my dream this morning.

_"Mama, Papa, why do you both smell alike?"_

_Papa laughed and Mama pulled me up onto her lap. I touched her big belly where my baby brother or sister was living._

_"Because Farrokh, we exchanged a sacred vow between soulmates that linked us together for life." Mama explained._

_"Do I have a soulmate?" I wondered._

_"Of course you do, Farrokh. It's a very special thing." Papa said._

_"Right here on your arm." Mama traced the words beside my muse mark. "See? It says 'I think I'm you're soulmate.' Those will be the first words your soulmate says to you."'_

"They're my parents!" I realized. "Deaky, my love, marrying you made me remember my family. You really do complete me right down to the gaps in my memory."

"You remember your family?" John squealed. "Do you know what happened to them or where they are?"

"No." My excitement faded. "But for the first time ever I remember my parents. Maybe more memories will start to come back."

"Do you think there's any way I can help you remember more?"

"I don't know but I'm just so happy I have you...and we're married!" It was crazy to wrap my head around our sudden marriage.

"My husband." I purred giving Deaky the passionate kiss that should have been shared at the alter where most soulmates exchanged their vows. Now I wanted to start planning for a traditional wedding and ceremony, but that was a luxury we couldn't afford.

"This still doesn't change my exposure. Deaky, we need to leave for the outskirts tonight."

I proceeded to tell my husband (still not used to calling him that) all about Bob and what I had seen in the lab downstairs.

"I want to rescue that poor siren, but it won't do him any good if I end up in a cage alongside him. That's why we need to leave while we still have the chance."

"No. We're not leaving." Deaky decided. "I have an idea that might just be mad enough to work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep hinting at Maylor and I promise you, it will arrive in the next chapter. I hoped you enjoyed the sweet fluffy Deacury though. Stay tuned!


	7. I'm Naked and I'm far from Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger escapes with the unlikely help from a muse, shapeshifter, and hunter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maylor is here!!! But it's gonna be a bit of a slow build up, and the lovebirds will need some help from Fred and Deaky to really hit it off. Let me know what you think. I wrote a little bit of Maylor in the Incredible Shrinking Deaky but that was more Deacury focused so I don't have much experience writing Maylor even though I ship it. I hope you like it! I'm so thrilled you guys are responding well to this story so far because I love writing it.

_Roger's POV_

Stupid fucking electric fence! I splashed my hand in the water and suckled on it waiting for the burning to stop. Thank goodness my siren mark was unscathed, but the rest of my hand wasn't as lucky. It was completely fried. I could no longer make out the initials of my soulmate, but I didn't care about that right now. The one thing on my mind was drumming. If this was permanent would I still be able to drum? I could barely move my fingers anymore. "FUCK!" I screamed out just to unleash some of my pent up anguish.

I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take. I looked down at the bleeding punctured spot on my tail where Bob had collected a "scale sample" to send to pathology. It was still very sore, but the burning of my hand gave me a new throbbing ache to worry about. How the hell was I going to get out of here alive?

"You hungry, fishy?" Bob called.

I was starving. I hadn't eaten since I was captured which seemed like years ago. Clare's fearful eyes watching me ascend in the net felt like a different lifetime at this point. I wanted to go home so badly, but I was beginning to lose hope.

While I preferred my diet of coral seaweed and fish, I had tried my fair share of human food discarded into the water. Right now I was so hungry I'd be willing to eat just about anything. The smell of the peanut butter sandwich Bob was unraveling from the tin foil made my mouth water. Careful not to burn my hand again, I shot out of the water and made a grab for it, but Bob kept it just out of my reach. He dangled it above the water laughing tauntingly.

"Sorry. I'm still awaiting that shipment of fish food." Bob snickered, "So I'll just have to enjoy this delicious sandwich all by myself since you're not allowed to eat it."

"I hope you choke to death on it!" I shouted as he had the audacity to take his sweet time devouring the food in front of me.

I sunk back into the water unwilling to watch Bob make a show out of each delectable bite. I had to crouch to get my entire body beneath the shallow water. I ignored Bob violently kicking against the walls of the pool to get me to pop back up. The vibrations of his forceful blows made the tiny pool feel even more claustrophobic. "You can't stay down there forever!" He shouted. "Watch me!" I challenged.

"Fine. I'll go fetch the skimmer and use it to force you back up. Don't even think about going anywhere while I leave to retrieve it from the janitor's closet."

Skimmer? I was told it was basically a mini net on a stick that one's tail could stuck in, but until now I only believed it be an urban legend. This was not something I was looking forward to experiencing. How could I escape though? Even if I managed to leap over the fence and out of the pool, I'd suffocate in a matter of minutes, and I wouldn't be able to move on dry land anyway. It was time to face the music. I was completely trapped and at the mercy of this motherfucker.

_Freddie's POV_

I still wasn't too clear on the plan, but I was going forth with it anyway. Deaky and I were hidden behind a trashcan in front of the janitor's closet. From my huddled spot, I had a clear view of the locked doors to the laboratory down the hall. "So we just wait for Bob to come out?" I inquired.

"Well we can't go in there unless we know for sure he's gone. We need to sneak in during his break, and we'll have to be quick because I'm sure his break won't take very long." Deaky whispered.

This idea was a suicide mission. Why did I agree to it again? Oh. Because my precious Deaky came up with it, and I couldn't say no to him. Happy wife happy life they say. Married life was turning out stranger than I imagined. Technically we were spending our honeymoon crouched behind a trashcan breathing in the putrid smell of rubbish alongside our merged scents.

"You really think if we break the siren out of here Bob will get fired?" I hissed.

"You said they fired him after you disappeared, so I'm sure they'll fire him again. This is our only chance of getting him out of our lives for good. If he still rambles about you being a muse after getting fired, all his credibility will be gone and he'll just come off as bitter. No one will believe him."

As anticipated, the doors to the lab opened, and Bob strolled out with a twisted grin, whistling to himself. I shuddered as he approached us, shutting my eyes and waiting for him to disappear. Only he did the very opposite of disappear; he came within inches of us. All he had to do was look down on our hiding place would be revealed. ' _Don't move a muscle.'_  Deaky thought, his eyes wide with the very same panic I felt.

Bob fumbled with his ring of keys at last retrieving the one that unlocked the janitor's closet. I peered inside as he opened the door. It was tight in there, almost like a cage. A somewhat evil idea washed over me too tempting to pass up. Before I could convince myself how dumb this move was, I opened my mouth and sang a quiet low note willing the key to unattach itself from the ring. Before the key could even hit the floor, Deaky put his hand over my mouth glaring at me. His nasty looks spoke wonders, but I could hear the thoughts behind them. ' _What the hell, Freddie? Are you trying to get us caught?'_

Bob glanced back curiously, just missing us. He shrugged and shut the door behind him. Quickly, I made a grab for the dropped key. "Karma's a bitch, darling." I chuckled as I locked him in the tiny space.

"My heart." Deaky exhaled holding his chest.

"It's okay." I told him. I put my hand to his heart feeling it beat so incredibly fast. "Are you still up for this siren recuse mission?"

"I don't have a choice now. I can't believe you just locked him in there like that!"

"He deserved it." I muttered darkly.

"I know, but we don't want to get caught. No more risky moves, okay? Let's just get the siren and get out."

I nodded and made a run to the door. I skidded to a halt when I remembered that I could only gain access through a face recognition scanner. "Deaky, we don't have clearance. How are we going to get in there?"

"You're forgetting what I am." John laughed, "Leave it to me, love."

_Roger's POV_

I was still submerged when the door opened again. Maybe I could just siren Bob and he'd stop harassing me. It wouldn't get me home, but it would certainly end the torment for a while. I popped my head back out of the water. Bob was back sure enough, but he wasn't alone. He was with Freddie or Farrokh or whatever the fuck his name was, the fucker who paid for me to be here. I wanted them both dead.

"And how do you plan on getting him out of here?" Freddie asked, now suddenly using a much friendlier tone with the man who threatened to kill him a few minutes ago.

"Um. I was hoping you'd have an idea." Bob's voice had completely changed and was now much softer and more uncertain of itself.

The duo approached the pool and as they got closer, I inhaled their scent—a mix of shapeshifter and muse. They were married soulmates. The shapeshifter was disguising himself as Bob obviously. A pair of cross species soulmates was rare. Muse and shapeshifter was an interesting combination, but it could certainly work between them. They both had two legs, so it should be enough to suffice. I was open minded, but I was certain that my soulmate was a merman. How the hell could we have a relationship otherwise? I'd be forever confined to the water.

"Don't fret, dear, we're getting you out of here...somehow." Freddie said.

"So you  _are_  a muse." I blurted.

"Yes, I—How could you tell? Am I glowing?" He looked down at himself.

"Bob" tossed him a bottle of pills. "Using your powers out there counteracted the magic suppressants. I told you it was a dumb move."

"I told you that asshole deserved it." Freddie retorted as he swallowed one of the pills. Within seconds, his scent was gone, but I could still smell another masked scent merged with his. Meanwhile, "Bob" was plugging away at the computer in the back of the room. "Alright. I disarmed the electric fence. It's just a fence now. That's a start, right?"

"Deaky you're fucking brilliant!" Freddie exclaimed. "I love you so much."

"It's no big deal. I'm an electrical engineer. I have a knack for these things." It was so strange to see someone so evil blush like that, but it wasn't the real Bob.

However even though these two were keen on coming to my rescue, I still didn't trust them. Freddie was the reason I ended up here, so I automatically hated him. As for his shapeshifting husband...well he looked like Bob. Wasn't that a reason enough to despise him?

"Darling, can you jump out of the pool?" Freddie asked.

"Are you fucking mad? I'll die!" I ran a hand across my neck in demonstration of the slits. "I have bloody gills. I won't be able to breathe out there."

"Shit! I forgot about that. What should we do, Deaks?"

"Um...Freddie, stay here. I'll go find Brian. I'm sure he can help us figure this one out."

"Why do I have to be the one to stay here?" Freddie pouted.

"Because you can't get back in here without my help." Deaky replied. "I'll be back soon."

I eyed the pill bottle in Freddie's hand as Deaky left. I knew of magic suppressants but was still a little fuzzy on all the details. "So you swallow those and you lose your scent?" I inquired.

"I smell human, don't I? It is quite convincing. They also help me so I don't glow when I sing, but I'm still working on that."

"Elvis was muse, and he didn't glow." I remarked, "Did he rely on the pills?"

"I think he put so much focus on twisting his hips that he was able to suppress it. However he did it, I know it's possible thanks to him. One day I hope to get good enough at it that I can be a rockstar and still stay undercover." Freddie said.

"So you wanna be a rockstar too, huh?" I laughed.

"Of course I do, darling. Who doesn't love rock and roll?"

"Sirens." I sighed. I knew it was a rhetorical question but I had an unfortunate answer for him. "I know muse culture is pretty similar when it come to music, but at least you have Elvis to look up to. Can you name any siren rockstars? That's because there aren't any."

"I wouldn't know about muse culture. I grew up pretty isolated. I was basically on my own in a lab just like this one."

"You're kidding!" I exclaimed feeling a tinge of pity for the muse. Although my anger came back. "So you know exactly what I'm going through right now and yet you still work for this fucking hell hole and bring in the money for them to kidnap and torture me!" I cried.

Freddie cringed. "No, darling—I mean yes, it's true, I am the reason you're here, but it's not my fault. I didn't know. When I agreed to all of this undercover business, I foolishly believed that I was working at the only university in the civilization that didn't do these types of things to people like me. I thought I could have a normal life, but I was wrong. I'm going to quit after I get you out of here. I'll probably return to the outskirts, but I have to see what Deaky wants to do."

I believed him. Fuck! I actually felt bad for yelling at him like that. Freddie was just trying to survive, and the surface showed no compassion.

"You know you've managed to piss off more people than me. Bob seems to really have it in for you, but back at the auction house there was also this creepy man complaining about his lost pet muse Farrokh. I'm guessing your the same person."

"Creepy man? Tell me, darling, what did he look like?" Before I could answer it seemed like Freddie already figured out who I was describing. "Was he Irish? Did he have a mustache?"

"Prenter I think his name was." I recalled. "I take it he's no friend of yours."

"W-we have a complicated history to put it simply. I'm not surprised to hear that he's looking for me. I don't know what he'll do to me if he ever finds me especially now that I'm married." Freddie shook his head. "Enough about all the troubles in my way. Let's talk about you. I bet you miss swimming in the open ocean."

"I do." I sighed, imaging myself in the vast salty water with miles and miles ahead of me to explore. I never appreciated how large the ocean was until I was confined to these tanks and pools.

"Well soon you'll be happy at home." Freddie reached over the fence and patted my good hand. "I promise we're going to get you out of here."

"Thanks, Freddie."

"By the way, dear, I never got your name."

"Oh. It's Roger."

"Roger." Freddie purred. "I like that. Okay, Roger just think happy thoughts and the next thing you know you'll be out of here."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked skeptically.

"Because I told you. I was held prisoner in a lab nearly identical to this one for almost the first fifteen years of my life."

"Y-you grew up like this?" I cried.

Freddie nodded sadly. "The two times I escaped my captors were the greatest moments of my life. I was given a chance to get out with some help, and I want you to have that same opportunity to be free again."

"If by some miracle you can get me out of here, I'll find a way to repay you." I vowed.

"I still owe my friend who helped me escape and brought me to my soulmate. It's impossible to repay this kind of debt, Roger, and I don't want you burdening yourself. Let's just focus on finding a way to get you out of this pool without suffocating."

I looked down at my tail wishing I could simply walk out that door on two legs. It would be so much simpler.

"I'm sure Brian will think of something when Deaky brings him here. In the meantime, I think you should swallow a magic suppressant. Otherwise you'll set off the magic detectors when we try to sneak you out of here."

I held up my good hand with my palm folded outward so I could catch the pill Freddie dropped down into the pool. With nothing to lose, I placed the pill on my tongue and swallowed.

My tail tingled. Were there side effects? Freddie swallowed his without flinching. Why was I starting to feel funny? I scratched my neck as my gills began to prickle. As the water ran against my neck, I realized that I was not breathing properly. My gills had lost their function and were starting to shrivel away.

"Freddie help!" Surprisingly my voice didn't come out in jagged rasps. I was breathing fine, but it wasn't from the water. I was sucking in dry air. How was this possible?

"Roger, what's happening to you?" Freddie shouted.

My head went down into the water, and I couldn't breath without my gills. I tried to pop back up, but my tail just wasn't working. That was because it was gone! In its place were two cumbersome legs that I uncoordinatedly thrashed around. I was hallucinating. These legs couldn't be real. They didn't belong to me. Where the hell did my tail go?

My missing tail was suddenly the least of my concerns as I was quickly running out of air. Was I seriously drowning right now? Mermen don't drown, but I clearly wasn't a merman anymore. Now that my lower body was utterly useless, I focused on my upper body, treading the water trying to lift myself back up before I ran out of air.

My vision was growing blurry, but I made out the figure diving into the pool and pulling me out. Freddie rested me on the side of the pool as I coughed and sputtered. I could breathe again. I was on dry land and I was breathing. Oh man! This was fucked up.

I stared down at my missing tail. There were feet. I had feet. And legs. And an ass and...

"What the fuck?!" I shrieked.

"Oh, darling, don't worry. That's just what we use to reproduce."

"I know what the equivalent of my special scale is!" I cried, "I-I just...it's a lot to wrap my head around. I mean what the fuck?"

"I just thought the magic suppressant would mask your scent. I had no idea it would give you a human body with your human smell." Freddie said. "I'm sorry, Roger. This must be scary for you."

"I-I can't go home like this." Now that I had undergone this bizarre change, home seemed even further away than before.

"I promise it's not permanent." Freddie assured me, "In a few hours it'll ware off. You might even be able to counteract it yourself if you use your powers. But I think this might work in our favor. All you need are some clothes, and no one will bat an eye at you. You can walk out of here without setting off any of the magic detectors."

"I can walk out of here." I stated numbly. "I can walk out of here." The words still didn't seem real to me. "I can WALK!"

I used my hands to push myself up off the ground, but my legs were wobbly and I stumbled. I tried again, falling several times before I got the knack of standing.

"Look at them!" I giggled, shuffling around on my own two legs. It certainly didn't compare to the thrill of zooming through the water, but this new sensation was rather unbelievable. I could travel anywhere on land and do nearly anything now. I could finally see a four wheeled friend up close and maybe even learn how to drive one! But best of all if I wanted to I could join a band now!! "Is this the real life?" I questioned, "Is this just fantasy?" I was able to answer my own question when I noticed the scab on my knee. That would have been the spot where Bob scraped off one of my scales. These legs were indeed mine.

"I was not expecting you to be this chipper about it." Freddie laughed. "Come here, darling. I need to make you a stunning new outfit to go with your new body."

"Why do you cover up?" I asked, looking down at myself. "That always confused me."

Freddie laughed again. "Well we have to leave some things to the imagination, now don't we dear? Besides wearing all the stylish fashions can be so much fun. Now stand still for me."

I wasn't exactly sure what Freddie had in mind, but I stopped moving my amazing legs all around for a moment. When I did, he crooned a beautiful high note, almost as high as I could reach, but there was more depth and power to his voice. I felt the magic laced within the sound swirling around me, and the next thing I knew I was clothed in a stripped black and white jacket and dark blue jeans with a sparkling belt. 

"Yes." Freddie applauded, "Stripes suit you."

"The jeans are kind of tight." I complained. Moving on my new legs was trouble enough already now I had this constraining fabric around them.

"I know." He smirked, "They're supposed to be tight."

As annoying as it was, I had to admit, the tightness did wonders to show off my new figure. There was no way I could achieve such an attractive look with a tail. I twirled around in a showcase, nearly falling in the process.

"I'm fucking hot!" I exclaimed.

"I'll take that as a thank you." Freddie said.

"Oh right. Thanks for saving me from drowning and more importantly thanks for making me HOT!" I wanted to give him a hug, but when I walked over to him, I tripped again, but I didn't care. I was too caught up in how good I looked. I eyed the hidden initials on my burnt hand. "If you could see me right now, BHM, you would fall in love."

"What did you say?" Freddie gasped.

"I-I um sometimes talk to my soul mark." I admitted. "I know it's strange, but until I find him I—"

The door opened again and in walked the shapeshifter still incognito as Bob, but he was accompanied by someone else, and this tall handsome stranger stole all of my attention. I ignored the odd warm pinching sensation I felt on my hand, associating it with the throbbing from the still tender burn marks. How could I be in pain now when I saw this perfect man with spectacular curly hair approaching me. He stretched his hand back, pushing aside the curls to scratch his neck in a fluid motion. I could ogle him all day. We stared into each other's eyes and I felt a haunting connection that made my heart flutter.

"Whoa!" Deaky broke our trance. "Freddie, what did you do to him?" 

"Freddie didn't do anything." I defended the muse. "He just gave me a magic suppressant pill and then I got these." I dangled my legs in demonstration attempting to show them off to my latest crush. "Aren't they great?" Then I noticed my curly haired angel's long legs superior to my own and felt stupid.

"The clothes are an original Mercury design." Freddie bragged, "And of course he looks fantastic in them. Our little Roger is going to make his soulmate very happy, don't you think, Brian?" 

"Based on looks yes." The angel agreed. "But I think there's a lot more to it than just a physical attraction. You should know that because of what you have with Deaky."

"So you also think I'm hot." I translated.

"Y-you're...well...Yes. You're hot." Brian stammered cutely.

Well I was hooked. I was going to have to siren him later and see if he kissed as good he looked and sounded, but I would have to wait until we were alone because I didn't wanted Freddie and Deaky to also be put under my spell.

"Well it looks like Freddie saved the day." Deaky announced, "Now that you're on dry land and your scent is masked, you can leave without setting off the magic detectors. Do you need help finding your way back to the beach, Roger?"

"Brian can drive him to the beach." Freddie decided, "I think our work here is done, darling. Bri can take care of the rest."

"I think it would be easier if we  _all_ went together." Deaky suggested, but Freddie elbowed his soulmate, and I wanted to thank him again. I liked him and Deaky, but if there was one thing I wanted, it was some alone time with Brian before I bid the surface adieu.

"No." Brian said much to my dismay. "John is right. We should all go together. It's only a matter of time until the real Bob escapes the janitor's closet, and I don't want you two on campus with him around. Hopefully he will get fired as planned."

"John?" I turned my attention back to the shapeshifter. "I thought your name was Deaky. I know you're undercover, but between you and Freddie Frederick Farrokh, I'm keeping track of what to call you guys."

"Deaky's a nickname." He clarified, "My real name is John Richard Deacon." "And he was born on August the 19th 1951." Freddie blurted only to have John playfully swat at him. The two laughed and it was pretty adorable, but as the lovebirds were giggling, I noticed Brian kept glancing at me.

He scratched the back of his neck again, giving me a funny look. "Roger?" I loved the way he said my name. "Mhmm?" I drawled, finding myself lost in those hazel eyes again. "Do you have a middle and last name by any chance?" "Meddows Taylor. Why?"

"Roger Meddows Taylor." Brian said making me melt with his intense stare.

"You're RMT." John gasped. "I told you we'd find him for you, Brimi." Freddie proclaimed. They knew something, but I couldn't quite put two and two together yet. I couldn't think straight when Brian was looking at me like he had just met his soulmate or something. Oh shit! My hand was still too bruised to make out the words next to the siren mark, but the dull ache was replaced with a warm tingling.

"No!" I shook my head in disbelief, not wanting to accept what was happening. "Y-You can't be." I wasn't supposed to meet BHM like this. I should be taking him to my grotto and showing off my albums, not pathetically crying on the floor of a fucking lab. How would this ever work? I had to go back home, and Brian couldn't come with me.

"I'm sorry." I sighed, looking up at Brian who was still staring at me so sweetly and adoringly. I didn't want to let him down, but I saw no other choice. "I-I...you're absolutely perfect, and I'd love to be the one you're looking for, but it can't be me. It's someone else with my initials."

Freddie stood in back of Brian in clear view of his neck. "Darling, it  _is_  you. It doesn't say RMT anymore. It says Roger Meddows Taylor."

"Does it really?" Brian grinned. His smile was so genuine, and I didn't know what to do. What if Brian really was my soulmate? I was without a doubt attracted to him, but what kind of life could we share together? It would be impossible to maintain a healthy relationship when we came from two separate worlds. I shut down, refusing to let myself get attached to my possible soulmate because I would only have to leave him in the end.

"Look at that!" Deaky exclaimed also examining Brian's mark. "You found your soulmate, Bri! Oh I'm so happy for you!"

"B-but I'm..." I gestured down to my legs. "I don't know how this is going to work for us. I can't be yours. There's a mistake."

"Wheres your soul mark, Roger, dear?" Freddie wondered.

"Fred, that's personal. Don't make him show it." Brian reprimanded. Oh God! He was already standing up for me. If things were different I could see myself falling for him. I couldn't get attached though. I had to go back home. Right? There was no place for me on land even with these new legs. Like Freddie said, the magic suppressants would be wearing off soon anyway. Brian would probably reject me when he saw my tail. It couldn't compete with these new legs.

"Well that's the only way to settle this. He should have your name written on him." Freddie insisted.

"I wouldn't even know." I murmured, holding out my bruised hand. The siren mark was the only thing visible.

"Roger, what happened?" Brian cried and the concern in his voice told me how much he deeply cared for me despite not knowing me. He crouched down beside me, reaching out to take my injured hand, but Freddie beat him to it. "Allow me, darling." The muse grasped my hand in his and started to sing. Slowly, the wounds began to heal themselves, and my skin cleared as if nothing had ever happened. It was smoother and softer than the rest of my skin, but something much more important stood out.  _'Brian Harold May'._ It was true. I found my soulmate. And I was going to have to break both of our hearts. 

"I told you today would be the day you'd find him." Freddie slurred, his eyelids fluttering. He collapsed into Deaky's arms.

"He'll be alright." John assured me, "Healing just takes up a lot of his energy, and he's a bit of a drama queen."

"No, I'm really out cold. I didn't just faint for dramatic effect." Freddie mumbled in his sleep. Deaky just rolled his eye, but planted a kiss on his temple. 

Knowing that Freddie would pull through, I shifted my attention back on Brian. I looked up at my soulmate, shuddering slightly. "BHM?" I called out to him a small voice. He was no longer just initials on my hand. There was a face to the letters...a gorgeous face with hair better than I could ever imagine. "RMT." Brian responded, pulling me close. I nuzzled myself against his neck, breathing in his scent.

Fuck! I never jolted away so quickly. Just out of natural instinct I felt the urge to flee from the hunter's grasp. The movement was awkward because I had my legs pushed together as one unit.  _'Swim away!'_ My innate senses screamed. I ignored them and stayed put. Brian looked disheartened and I was suddenly mad at myself for reacting so strongly. He may be a hunter, but he was my soulmate.

"S-sorry." I stammered, "I just...wasn't expecting my soulmate to be a hunter."

"I wasn't expecting my soulmate to be a siren." Brian said, "But we can make this work, Roger." He stared down at his name inked into my skin, trailing his thumb across the letters.

"You have really nice handwriting." I remarked, "I've always admired that about you."

"It's the only thing you've known about me besides my initials." Brian pointed out.

"Can I see your soul mark?" I asked curiously. Freddie and Deaky both confirmed his said my name but I wanted to view it for myself.

"Of course." Brian bent down, pushing aside the curls so I could take a look at the back of his neck where sure enough my name was written. I was taken off guard by the hunter symbol, but I tried my best to focus on the soul mark instead. "My handwriting is total shit. Sorry about that."

"I couldn't tell just from the three letters written there before. When I get home I'll check it out in the mirror and judge it for myself. It can't be that bad if it's yours."

Brian flipped his head back up and when he did his curls moved gracefully back into place. Unable to resist myself I used my fingers to comb some of the straggling pieces back behind his ears. He didn't protest.

"We should get out of here." John said, "Freddie, get up. You can rest at home."

"Roger, can you walk?" Brian inquired.

I was able to take small strides earlier when I was parading my new legs around Freddie, but I figured in this case it was alright to tell a little white lie. "Um, my legs are still so new I'm not sure how to use them. Do you mind carrying me?" I batted my eyelashes sweetly.

"No problem at all." Brian scooped me up into his arms. "You're light as a feather." He sounded surprised.

"I have to be. I'm built to glide through the water at high speeds. Or at least I used to be built like that. I'm not sure how these legs factor in now."

Still learning how they functioned, with some maneuvering, I was able to fasten my legs around Brian's waist. As I intended, the position we were in became more intimate as I was basically straddling him. Brian flushed and looked anywhere but my eyes. 

I frowned when Brian carried on, unfocused on me as he should be. "Freddie, you used your magic to heal Roger, so you'll need to take another suppressant. John, as soon as we're back outside you need to turn back into yourself and take another suppressant as well." He ordered. "We want to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. If anyone asks, we're leaving work early because we all came down with the stomach flu from something we ate last night."

"We could say I cooked for us on a dare we all regret now." Freddie said. "Trust me little details like that will make our story more believable."

"And how do I fit into the story?" I asked, clinging tighter to Brian trying to get some sort of reaction out of him.

Instead Freddie responded. He rolled up the leg of my jean revealing the nasty bruise on my knee from Bob's scale sample. " You're our neighbor and you came here looking for me to tell me that my cat ran away. You ignored the wet floor sign in the hall, slipped and got injured. Bri came to your rescue and has to carry you because you're too hurt to walk. He's taking you home with us. Is that detailed enough for you, darling? I don't want you to feel left out."

"That's oddly specific." I remarked. How could a catfish run away? Didn't they keep their catches in tanks? Perhaps they only did that with sirens.

"Spending ten years with a demon will teach you how to tell a proper lie. Now let's go!" 

With that, Brian carried me out the door with Deaky and Freddie trailing us. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, playing with the curls that blocked that tattoo of my name. I was marked as his. It was exciting to think about. All these years searching for BHM I didn’t put much consideration into what it would be like when I finally did find him.

“Roger, stop that! We need to focus.” Brian at last noticed me. I grinned. “Stop what?” I toyed, still running my fingers through his hair. He took my hands, removing them from his head. “Later, okay? I’ll let you play beauty parlor when you’re safe and out of here. Alright?” “I’m going to hold you to your word.” I pouted.

I thought of other ways to flirt without directly sirening him. I would just be going home after this and would probably never see Brian again, so I needed to make the most of what little time we had together.

The moment we exited the building, I blinked and recoiled in shock as intense sunlight suddenly overwhelmed my senses. I embarked on my daring surface expeditions at night, so until now my only exposure to the sun had been from beneath the waves. Needless to say, I was having an adverse reaction. “Roger!” Brian cried, pulling me even closer. “Roggie, please! You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

“T-the sun…” I kept my eyes tightly shut. “It’s…too fucking bright! I’m burning!”

“Just hang on, okay? We need to get through the scanner and then you’ll be out of the sun. I promise you’ll be alright.”

All I could feel was the excruciating heat pouring down against my sensitive skin. The voices around me seemed to blur together. “He’s injured and now he’s having a heat stroke.” “But it’s overcast, not even hot out.” “Your friend needs serious help.” “Just let us go through the scanner together.” “What’s wrong with him?” “Please just let us go.” “Where’s his mark?” “Let them go through you’re holding up the fucking line!”

My senses and awareness started to return when the brightness dimmed slightly and a rush of cooling air breezed against my face. “Deaky, get him out of that jacket! Freddie, there’s water bottles in the trunk. Get him one.” “Bri, we can take care of him. Just focus on driving and make sure the AC is on full blast.”

I blinked open my eyes, relieved to find that they no longer burned or hurt. I wasn’t sure where I was, but Brian and Deaky were in seats in front of me and Freddie was next to me, reaching behind him to retrieve something. A odd strap around him constrained his movements. I tried to sit up, but my body stung. I realized that there was strap holding me down as well. Deaky leaned over awkwardly fighting against the strap to reach me and remove my jacket. I yelped in pain as his fingers came in contact with my skin which was all red and blistery. "Sorry!" 

“What the hell happened to me?” I shouted.

“Worst case of sunburn I’ve ever seen in my life.” Brian said remorsefully. He was holding something circular…a wheel?

“A-are we moving?” I tried to sit up again.

"Don't worry, darling, everything is going to be alright." Freddie said, holding the water bottle for me as I sipped from it. "We managed to get you through the scanners without setting off any of the magic detectors." 

“You two stay in the car with him while I stop at the drug store to pick up some creams and ointments for the burns.” Brian instructed the muse and shapeshifter.

“Oh no need for that, darling.” Freddie dismissed.

“Freddie,” Deaky warned, “you don’t have the energy to—“

All other sounds were silenced by Freddie’s powerful voice working its magic across my tender red skin. A soothing effect washed over the burns and I watched in wonder as my skin returned to its milky white color now with the same softness and smoothness as my healed hand.

“I-I’m not overreacting this time. Wake me when we’re…home.” Freddie could barely speak he was so exhausted. His eyes immediately shut.

“Are you okay, Roger?” Brian asked.

“Me?” I squealed, “What about Freddie?”

“Let him rest. He’ll probably be asleep until tomorrow. Using his powers takes a lot out of him.” Deaky said, “But if he get his rest, he’ll be good as new.”

“You really scared us, Roger.” Brian said as I still struggled to sit up.

“There’s a lever on the side of the seat to push it up.” Deaky explained, “Can you push Freddie’s back so he can lie down?”

“Whoa!” I exclaimed as the lever pushed me forward and my seat moved upright. “This is awesome!” I pushed Freddie’s chair back as instructed. Then I toyed with the device on my seat, pushing it forward and backward to my heart’s content laughing throughout the process.

“That’s enough, Roger! You’re going to break the bloody thing.” Brian reprimanded.

I was probably getting on my soulmate's nerves, but I didn't care if he thought I was annoying. I was having too much fun experiencing these things land dwellers took for granted for the very first time. “I am obsessed with this…moving device, and this whole vehicle in general. Are we in a land boat? I fucking love land boats! Bri, can you teach me how to drive it? Please please please!”

“He may just love this car more than you.” John said under his breath.

“We just met, Deaks. Not everyone falls in love at first site like you and Freddie.” Brian dismissed Deaky’s casual use of the L word and I tried not to take it too personally. We did just meet and we were an unconventional couple to say it lightly. Couple? Did I just say couple? No. We weren’t a couple yet. Yet? What was I thinking? I was going home. Period.

“Roger, honey, is this your first time in a car?” Brian asked.

“Yeah.” I said excitedly pressing my face against the window to look out at the passing road. “It’s everything I dreamed it would be and more! I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this for all these y—Wait. Did you just call me honey?”

“Is that okay?” Brian asked. 

“It’s perfect.” I cooed. This was the best day of my life! 

“Good.” Brian's smile would be the death of me. “Are you ready to go home now, honey?”

I was still too overwhelmed by him calling me honey to fully comprehend what he was asking me.

“Brian, don’t tease the poor thing like that. We’re taking him to our home not his home.” John said.

“I’m not teasing.” Brian said, “You want to go back home to the ocean, right Roger?”

Did I? I thought about it. No. I didn’t want to go back home. At least not yet. But it seemed like Brian wanted me out of here. Rejected by my own soulmate. Just my luck. Maybe going home was the best option for me. “Of course I do.” I replied, “Take me home.”

I rolled the moving seat back so I was lying down again and shut my eyes. “Wake me up when I’m home.” I mimicked Freddie’s words. This was the worst day of my life! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry they'll come around and sparks will fly eventually, but I feel like they'd have more trouble at first unlike Freddie and Deaky who fell in love almost instantaneously. The next chapter will be in Brian's POV.


	8. Don't Play Hard to Get

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger's return home is delayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the heartbreaking chapter where Roger goes back home to the ocean and says goodbye to Brian forever....Or maybe not. 😜

_Brian's POV_

"Roger?" When he didn't respond I assumed he fell asleep alongside Freddie. I stared in the rear view mirror hoping to catch a glimpse of my beautiful siren before I said goodbye. There was a small frown upon his pink lips, but other than that he was completely at peace in his slumber. Maybe I was falling for him, but I wasn't convinced he felt the same way.

"Brian I'm telling you this with the utmost respect, and you're my best friend, so please please please don't take this the wrong way, but you're a fucking moron." John said. Deaky cursed even less than I did, so I knew whatever he was trying to get across to me through insult was important. "You still have no clue what I'm talking about do you?"

I shook my head. "I'm not like Freddie. I can't read your mind. Whatever it is, you have to tell me."

"You're really going to let Roger go after you just found him? Some people spend their whole lives searching for their soulmates and never find them. Yours is literally right behind you."

I gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter in defense. "This is a personal thing, Deaky. I need to do what's best for Roger even if it doesn't benefit me in anyway."

"Roger is crazy about you. You need to give him a chance."

There were many ways I could dispute that argument. I started with the most obvious. "Giving him a chance would mean holding him here against his will. If I wanted to kidnap sirens I wouldn't have dropped out of hunting school. Roger can't stay with us as much as I want him to. He needs to go home. You saw what the sun did to him and how out of place he is on land. It's cruel and wrong to keep him. He's not our pet, and I thought you of all people would understand that, John."

The words came out before I could stop them. Why would I ever say something like that to Deaky?It took months of tiptoeing around him and the miracle of finding his soulmate to get him this comfortable and dare I even say happy. How could I just blurt out a blatant reminder of whatever sort of torment he had gone through before I found him beneath that park bench. John was right about one thing. I was an idiot. "Sorry, John. I didn't mean that." I sighed.

"It's fine." He muttered his fists tightly clenched on his lap.

As we got closer to the beach, I started to form a plan on how we would get my beautiful fish back home where he belonged. I felt a tinge of despair from within my heart at the thought of letting my soulmate go. It was better this way I told myself. There was no way Roger wanted to stay. From the moment he discovered I was a hunter, he was doing everything in his power to annoy me and turn me off. Of course it did the exact opposite, and I found his antics such as holding onto me too tightly and playing with my hair to only increase my affection for the adorable siren. I refused to let myself fall any deeper. It would never work between us. I needed to do what was best for Roger even if this solution was the most heartbreaking.

I considered the easiest way to return Roger to the water without causing him any more pain. Roger couldn't leave the car without frying in the sun, and it would be very difficult to get him back into the water without drawing the attention of the other beachgoers. Would it be better to wait until nightfall? The magic suppressants would probably ware off before the sun went down.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" Deaky asked again. "You'll have no way of contacting him once he goes back home."

"This is what Roger wants, and it's what's best for him." I insisted. "Do you really think he'd really be happy confined to our bloody bathtub?"

"I can get another prescription of the magic suppressants filled so I can have enough to share with him as well as Freddie. Roger can live on land if he takes the pills." Deaky reasoned, "I think he'd be happy so long as he's with you, and you'd be happy too."

I would be happy, but I couldn't do that to poor Roger. "You're wrong." I said, "What about his family? And his friends? His whole life is in another world. I wouldn't let him give all that up for me, and I don't think he'd be willing to do it either."

"What are you talking about?" John cried, "Of course he'd be willing to do it for you. He's head over heels...or fins I guess. I mean did you see the way he was clinging to you when you held him?"

"He couldn't walk, Deaky. That's the only reason why." I told him and myself. I wanted to let myself believe that Roger liked me back, but I couldn't forget the way he flung himself out of my embrace when he smelled my scent. Roger didn't want to be bonded to a hunter and I didn't blame him. I had wanted my soulmate to be human so they wouldn't fear me, but this was the result, and now I was stuck with these unrequited feelings.

"He was playing with your hair and flirting with you. How blind can you be?" John shouted.

"That was not flirting. He was trying to get on my nerves so I wouldn't like him." I didn't tell John that Roger's tricks backfired and made me begin to fall for him. "Trust me, Deaky, it's the worst fear of any magical creature to have a hunter as a soulmate. Roger doesn't like me. There's a reason why it's nearly unheard of for a hunter to have a soulmate other than a human or another hunter. It just won't work out well in the end."

"You know it's not just hunters. Cross species soulmates are rare in general, but I love my muse." Deaky said wholeheartedly. "And your siren loves his hunter because none of that stuff matters. The markings don't lie, Brian. You and Roger were paired for a reason, and you can't fight back against destiny."

"But—" I was unable to finish my sentence because we had arrived at the parking lot leading to the beach, but there was something seriously wrong. For one thing, the lot was empty, and there were cones blocking its entrance. However, that wasn't our main concern. Several armed officers and magic detectors were stationed all around the area.

As I drove closer, one of the magic detectors went off. It was flashing bright red. I put the car in reverse, but the officers swarmed around the Jeep before I could hit the accelerator. John bit his lip, tears prickling in his eyes. The all too real threat of exposure was lingering on the horizon.

"Just stay calm." I told him.

I rolled down the window when the officer rudely tapped his knuckles against the glass. "You catch anything today?" He asked.

"I-I'm sorry?" I stammered.

"This is a hunter vehicle, right?" He leaned in, sticking his face into the car and invading my personal space. I felt his nostrils up against my cheek as he breathed in my scent. "Yup. You're a hunter alright. Looks like your catches in the back seat set off our detectors. What have you got back there? And who's your buddy in the passenger seat? I assume he's not a catch otherwise he'd be knocked out with the other two."

John shook his pale head, shaking like a leaf. I spoke for him as calmly as possible. "No, you don't have to worry about my friend. He's perfectly human. He lost a bet and had to be escorted to the outskirts with me on a hunting trip. That's why he looks like he's about to pass out. It's not for the faint of heart out there. Anyway we were just about to deliver these two...catches to the auction house. So if you don't mind letting us go. I have a job to do."

"So what'd you get?" The officer sniffed again and really leaned his face into the window trying to get a good look at Freddie and Roger. "Smells...musey if I'm not mistaken." He took another whiff. "I'm also picking up a bit of shapeshifter." That wasn't coming from Deaky as his scent was masked from the suppressants. Freddie's scent was merged with his giving off both muse and shapeshifter.

I elbowed Deaky as he began to silently sob. "Good nose." I praised the officer. "Now let us be on our way."

"So you caught a muse and a shapeshifter." He remarked as he signaled for the other officers to stand down. It looked like he mistook Roger for the shapeshifter. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. My heart was pounding but I had to stay calm. Deaky was on the verge of hysterics.

"Very nice work." The officer marveled, "Anyway, we just got a call from a university that a siren's gone missing, so the beach is shut down until we catch that slippery subject and have it returned. I know the short cut to the auction house is through this parking lot but I'm afraid you're gonna have to go the long way and face the traffic. Terribly sorry about that. Have a good day and be sure to get your friend the therapy he needs. The outskirts must be pretty goddamn terrifying."

"Will do." I said, practically pushing the officer's face out of the car so I could close the window.

As soon as I drove far enough away, I let out a scream. I didn't know why, but it felt very relieving. Deaky wiped the tears from his eyes and screamed along with me, so it must have been therapeutic for him as well.

"What's with all the bloody yelling?" Roger groaned as he pushed his chair back up. Freddie stirred slightly but didn't wake up. He was in too deep of a sleep to be disturbed.

"Freddie set off some magic detectors, but Brian took care of it." John explained. He smiled up at me gratefully. "He always has our back."

I wasn't sure if John was purposefully overplaying my heroics to impress Roger. Knowing Deaky, I'd say he was most likely being genuine.

"When Freddie used his powers to heal your sunburns, he must have counteracted the magic suppressants." I reasoned.

"Should I wake Freddie up and have him swallow another one?" Roger suggested.

"If we're just going back to the flat we should be fine." Deaky said. "I'm running low on pills. Tomorrow after work I'll go to the doctor and get a refill."

Oddly enough the doctor's office was the one place John feared the least and would go to all alone. I worried about him though especially now that he had pretty much doubled his prescription to accommodate Freddie. The doctor was sure to get suspicious if he asked for even more pills for Roger too.

"Am I still going home?" Roger asked his blue eyes wider and more innocent than ever. I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be alright. However, I couldn't lie to him.

"I'm so sorry." I tried to keep my voice from cracking. "The university informed the police of your disappearance. They're shutting down the beach while they conduct a search for you, but I promise I won't let them find you, Roger. I'm going to keep you safe, and eventually I will get you back home."

"Oh." I couldn't quite make out the tone in Roger's voice. I knew he had to be sad, but if I didn't know any better I'd say he sounded somewhat excited.

_Roger's POV_

Was I disappointed about the delay? Not really. I didn't mind continuing this adventure. I liked Brian a lot even if he didn't like me back. Freddie and Deaky seemed really nice as well. It was almost as if I suddenly had friends again. I was eager to see to explore their land grotto. Freddie wanted to be a rockstar like me, so they probably had a stash of rock and roll albums, maybe even bigger than my collection.

"Brian, do you play any instruments?" I blurted.  _'Please say yes. Please say yes.'_

His face lit up. "I do actually. Guitar. I also sing a bit too. Fred's been trying to teach me piano, but it's difficult because we can't really afford a keyboard right now, let alone a piano, not that we'd have any space for it anyway. What about you Roger? Do you play anything?"

My soulmate was a guitarist. It was everything I had asked for. I was so excited. I knew he'd be a musician. We wouldn't be able to bond otherwise. "I'm a killer on drums!" I exclaimed. "I love it."

"You know." Deaky said, "We just so happen to be looking for a dru—"

"—Oh look here we are." Brian spoke over him. "Home sweet home!"

It was still so strange to see all these non-cavelike dwellings constructed out of materials other than coral. Land grottos sure were different, but I didn't complain because touring the surface with my soulmate and his friends was kind of fun. I was starting to get used to the sun as well. When I pushed opened the door of the car (my new favorite word recently added to my vocabulary), I barely even had to blink. I tried to get out, but the strap was still holding me back. I fumbled with it and eventually found a bright red button which I clicked down to be released. "I could do without this dumb safety mechanism," I murmured "but other than that I'd say I'm in love with this car."

I stepped down out of the car, and unsurprisingly, I fell onto my face. Brian probably thought I was so pathetic. I stood up again and trudged forward in a strange sort of waddle that looked ridiculous.

"Ah, so you  _can_  walk." Brian laughed. "I guess you just wanted to be carried."

Thankfully he wouldn't be able to tell I was blushing because my skin was starting to redden again. It fortunately wasn't as bad as before, and I was grateful that I was able to build a tolerance to the sun so quickly. Perhaps it was a bit more than luck. I still felt some of Freddie's magic swirling across my body.

Speaking of Freddie, he was still passed out in the car. Deaky gently shook him but to no avail. I rolled my eyes. "You're doing it wrong." I said stumbling back toward them. I got in Freddie's face and screamed at a decibel only a siren could reach. Brian and Deaky both cringed, and Freddie shot up and slapped me.

"What the fuck?" I cried, rubbing my cheek. "I was just trying to wake you up."

"By making my bloody ears bleed! What were you thinking?" He shouted. "Look at that, you even cracked the side mirror."

One of the mirrors hanging off the car was indeed cracked, and I felt disgusted with myself for being culpable of hurting such a clean machine. "Oh I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize to the car, apologize to me!" Freddie demanded.

"He didn't mean any harm." Brian leapt to my defense. "Come on, Roggie. Let's get you inside before you have another heat stroke."

Clare called me Roggie. I wasn't sure how I felt about Brian adopting the nickname. I was more than fine with him calling me honey earlier, but Roggie just reminded me too much of home. I just wish he'd stop teasing me though. He obviously didn't like me and was just using these endearing names to cover up for it so I wouldn't feel bad.

For a place shared by three men, their home was surprisingly not too messy. Brian showed me around. My heart fluttered when he put his arm around me, but I knew he was only doing that because I was so wobbly and could fall again at any moment. Brian introduced me to a weird but cute little creature called Little Dipper. He was an animal known as a hedgehog that Brian was very fond of. I avoided Freddie's strange furry four legged pet because it kept hissing at me. The dry grotto consisted of one large room that acted as a kitchen and living room combined and a connecting small bedroom and bathroom. There were only two beds. Then something heartbreaking hit me. I'd never be able to properly share a bed with my soulmate. The magic suppressants wore off every few hours. If I changed back into my true form in the middle of the night, which was very likely, I could suffocate in my sleep.

"I know it isn't much, but you're more than welcome to stay here until they open the beach again." Brian said. "You can sleep in the bathtub if you'd like."

I wouldn't like to, but I had to. I doubted Brian would feel comfortable sharing a bed with me anyway. So why even bother? "Of course." I sighed.

"You're being very brave, honey." Her marveled. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel at home?"

' _Kiss me.'_ I thought. "I'm kind of hungry." I said instead. I was starving actually, but I didn't want to sound too demanding. Brian was already hosting me. I didn't expect him to also feed me. "I bet you are." He led me back to the kitchen where Freddie was pouring Deaky a glass of champaign. Oh good. They had alcohol above the sea.

Brian cleared his throat. "Freddie, we're saving that champaign bottle for special occasions. It was expensive."

"I became a married man today, and we have a guest over who happens to be your soulmate. Those are two very special occasions. So I say cheers!" He clinked his glass with Deaky's. "Roger, darling, sit with us and have a glass. You've been through a lot today."

Brian confiscated John's glass as I sat down. "Sorry, Deaks. Not till you're twenty one." Freddie snatched the beverage back and gave it to Deaky. "Darling, let him have it. John does a lot of things with me that are far more risqué than a simple innocent glass of champaign. Besides he needs to be exposed to these kind of things for when we become rockstars."

"You know in the civilization based work facilities in the magic mines, the drinking age is only eighteen." John said. "The chemists even let me start joining their nights of poker and brandy when I was only sixteen. I know how to handle alcohol, Brian. And Freddie's right. A proper rockstar needs to know how to to drink. Now that we found ourselves a drummer who won't expose us because he's also a magical creature, we can finally get our band together."

I spit out the champaign in shock. "You want to be in a rock band with me?" This was the ultimate dream, and part of me didn't believe it was real.

"Well that depends if you're any good." Freddie said. "It's nothing personal, darling, but Brian and Deaky are both spectacular on guitar, and I'm a fucking muse, so you need to be up to our standards."

"I really don't think this is a good idea." Brian said as he cleaned my spit champaign off the table.

"If you think I have what it takes, then I'm in." I declared. Foremost because it was my lifelong dream and secondly to spite Brian.

"That's three to one. It looks like you are outvoted, Brian." Freddie said. "We are going to be rockstars! No, better yet, we are going to be legends!"

"It's not going to work, Freddie." Brian said sharply. "You can't sing anything without glowing."

" _Can anybody find me somebody to..."_ Freddie's song was interrupted when hispet made a strange mewling sound. The otherworldly hue around his skin dimmed when he stopped singing and eventually faded altogether.

"Well of course I'm glowing, Delilah." Freddie responded to the animal, "It's only my first try and I don't have any magic suppressants in my system which makes it even more difficult. Now if you would just let me try again."

Delilah meowed again and I gasped as Freddie understood her perfectly. "Oh, so you're taking Brian's side on this one? You think I'll end up exposing us by glowing on stage. Well let me tell you something..."

I glanced back at Brian and Deaky who were unfazed by Freddie having a coherent conversation with the animal. "Is this normal?" I asked.

"No, but you get used to it." Brian said, "Besides Delilah apparently agrees with me, so that's good. It figures that the only other voice of reason in this flat is a cat."

"Voice of reason? Darling, don't flatter yourself. Delilah only agrees with you because she has a crush on you." This time Brian spit out his champaign.

The cat hissed again like she had been at me whenever I got too close. "It is so true!" Freddie combatted.  _"_ There is no other reason why you'd be so rude to Roger. All of you've done is hiss and growl at him since he's gotten here. You're obviously jealous that Brian found his soulmate."

Delilah narrowed her cat eyes at me. Then with an angered humphed, she jumped from the table and went into the bedroom, obnoxiously swishing her tail. Why did she even need a tail? It served no bloody purpose on land.

"Oh please, Brian. You knew it was true." Freddie said, "She always wants to be on your lap and loves to pretend that your hair is yarn. It was pretty obvious." 

"Yeah well Brian seems to have a problem recognizing when people...or animals are flirting with him." Deaky said. He and Freddie exchanged glances.

"You know I have a brilliant idea!" Freddie blurted.

"I'm scared." Brian said.

"Roger, you like seafood, right?" Freddie inquired.

My stomach growled. I was still really fucking hungry and the champaign did nothing to fix that. "Seafood is just about the only thing I eat."

"Good. There's a sushi restaurant across from the art supply store."

"Freddie, you know how tight money is right now. We can't afford to go out." Brian said.

"We can't all afford to go out to go out to eat, but if we all pitch in, we can definitely pay for a party of two." He proposed, looking directly at me.

"Freddie, are you asking me out on a date in front of both of our soulmates?" I cried.

"Don't be daft, darling. Not you and me. You and Brian."

A date with Brian? I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I didn't want to fuck it up. So far things between us weren't going as planned. "I'm not sure, Fred." Brian said tentatively proving that point. Why didn't he like me? Well, two can play at this game. If Brian was going to give me the cold shoulder I'd return it to him. "Yeah. We can't go out on a date. What about Delilah? Won't she be jealous?"

"You two are utterly hopeless." Freddie sighed. "Deaky, you deal with them. I'm going to bed."

***

Brian taught me how to play this really fun but intense word game called Scrabble while John made us some sort of pasta dish. He insisted that he cook all by himself and I shouldn't try to help. That was a relief because I would be completely lost in a land kitchen or any kitchen in general. Apparently I shared that trait with Freddie.

I put down my last tiles. "Parallelism. That's a word right?"

"Yes it is." Brian said, but then he frowned. "Wait a minute. If you scored triple word on that, then that means..."

"Holy shit I won!"

Deaky dropped the pot of noodles, caring more about the result of the game than his hard labor falling to the floor. I considered eating them off the floor because I was so hungry, but that was gross. I could hold on a little bit longer. "Are you sure you counted the scores correctly?" Deaky asked.

"O-of course I'm sure...I let him win obviously." Brian said not so smoothly. "I fucking beat you!" I declared with a laugh. "And you said you were undefeated."

"Beginner's luck."

"Ah so you're admitting that you  _didn't_ let me win. I beat you fair and square!" I shouted.

"Well you had the advantage of me teaching you how to play and showing you all of my tricks." Brian said. He rose from the table, and I attempted to follow him, but I was still uncoordinated and ended up knocking into a shelf. Books and albums fell onto the floor like Deaky's lost pasta.

"Fuck! I'm sorry, Brimi."

"Sorry for knocking the shelf over or sorry for beating me in Scrabble?" Brian laughed, "It's okay, honey. I know you would never do this on purpose. Here, I'll push the shelf back into place, and you can rearrange the books and albums."

"Are these yours?" I asked, more interested in the albums than the books. I couldn't be more relieved to find that we had nearly the exact same taste in music. I recognized many of the albums from my grotto.

"Most of them yes. Reading and music are my two biggest past times."

"If this is what you like to listen to, then you're definitely my soulmate." I said as I put the Beatles White album back onto the shelf. "I have a similar collection of albums in my secret grotto. I was supposed to take you there when we first met."

"I was confident that my soulmate would appreciate rock and roll." Brian said. "I think that would be the biggest deal breaker for me."

"Worse than having a fish for a soulmate?" I sighed.

"Hey, it's better than a cat."

I rolled my eyes. "You broke poor Delilah's heart you know."

"I know. I'm surprised Freddie didn't kick both us out for upsetting her, but then again this is  _my_ flat, so I'm not sure how he would manage to evict me."

"So...it's not a deal breaker for you that I belong in the water?" I ventured.

"Of course not, Roggie. It makes things much harder because we're going to have to part ways, but I haven't even known you for a day and I...Well, the important thing is that I don't care what you are. You're my soulmate no matter what, and I don't want you to ever forget that even if we end up worlds apart."

"If I go back home, will you be sad?" I didn't even catch that I said if instead of when.

"Yes, but I'll know I did the right thing letting you go."

 _'But what if I don't want to go even if it's the right thing?'_ I thought.

"You're probably very homesick. I'm sorry I have all these books on space and none about the ocean." Brian sighed.

I had been disregarding all the books because I was so focused on the albums. Brian was right. I observed nearly all of them were thick intimidating books on astrophysics, astrology, and just physics and space in general. "You have a real space fetish."

"I'm self studying to be an astrophysicist. They wouldn't allow a hunter into any university programs, so I'm trying to get the knowledge without it." He explained.

"Is that why you named Little Dipper after the constellation?"

Brian's eyes lit up when I made the connection. "Precisely. Do you know the constellations?"

"I'm familiar with most of them. I usually use the stars to chart my way back home whenever I swim off on adventures. You'd be surprised how dark the water gets at night. I'd never be smart enough to study astrophysics though. I can barely make it through dental school."

"So you're a dentist?"

"Um...dental school drop out." I admitted. "My only backup plan is being the drummer in a rock band, but that's more of a surface thing so I'm kind of screwed." Did I just admit to the potential love of my life that I had no real purpose and was a total fuck up? I prepared myself for brutal rejection.

"My life isn't exactly on track either, so it's nothing to be ashamed of. The truth is I would want nothing more than to be the lead guitarist of a rock band, but I just can't see it happening. Not when it would put you three in so much danger."

"That's why you're against the idea?" I realized how selfless Brian was in that moment. He wouldn't be risking anything if he agreed to form a band with us because he could always lie and say he didn't know we were undercover magical creatures. Freddie, Deaky and I were the ones putting ourselves in harm's way. Brian was more concerned for our safety than we were.

I put away the final book, but paused when I noticed its title. It was a fictional piece that didn't belong with all the science books. "A Clockwork Orange?"

"Oh yes. That's my favorite book." Brian said. "Have you ever read it?"

"Many times. It's also my favorite book, and I don't even like to read."

If I didn't believe it before, I definitely did now. I found my soulmate. Brian was the one. I made up my mind. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to stay here and be with him forever. Deaky was still trying to save the pasta from the floor. Unfortunately, as long as John was in the room, I couldn't siren Brian without risk of accidentally pulling John under my spell as well. I had never kissed the old fashioned way, but decided to give it a try. How hard could it be? For the first time in my life, I made the initial move and leaned in waiting for Brian to catch on. I puckered my lips slightly as I met Brian's surprised eyes.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He said, "How about I take you out to dinner like Freddie suggested?"

"Oh!" I pulled away. So Brian wanted a proper date before the first kiss. Okay. I had never dated such a true gentleman before, but I wasn't complaining.

At first I wasn't sure where the delighted squealing sound came. I looked toward Little Dipper, but then I realized Deaky was the one making the noise. He had spilled even more noddles.

"You okay, mate?" Brian asked.

"Never better! I'm so excited for you two." John squealed.

"But what about the pasta?" I wondered.

"It can be for me and Freddie and we'll have leftovers. Now go enjoy yourselves on your date. _"_

"Let me help you with the noodles." Brian offered, but Deaky shook his head. "I've got this. You go get ready for your date."

"Alright." Brian said and disappeared into the bedroom. 

I wasn't sure if my anxiety was due to nerves or excitement. I narrowed it down to a mixture of both. I was usually suave and easily able to charm any mermaid or merman of my choosing. But now I was a total fish out of water. Being on land made me completely clumsy and awkward and in other words vulnerable. I hated this feeling. Then again maybe it was this vulnerability that was making me fall for Brian. I never really felt this way around any of my old flings before and it was to be expected. He was my soulmate for a reason.

I spotted another book that I had put back onto the shelf without paying too much attention. It stood out to me because it was the only soft cover and its spine lacked words. Upon examination I discovered it was a journal. Should I really be reading one of the guys' personal diary? Probably not. I opened it up and instantly recognized the handwriting as the one that graced my hand. This was Brian's journal. I peeked over my shoulder to confirm that Deaky was focused on trying to remedy his disastrous pasta dish.

I flipped through the pages of the book finding song after brilliant song. They were beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. Well Fat Bottomed Girls was the exception, but that one made me laugh. Probably my favorite was 39. It was just so adventurous yet mysterious at the same time. I quickly put the book back in the shelf as I heard Brian coming. He didn't have to know that I was snooping.

_Brian's POV_

Did I really just ask Roger out on a date? Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? I replayed the moment Roger tilted his face toward mine those bright blue eyes begging for a kiss. That had to be fantasy. If only I hadn't panicked, we may have actually kissed. But I'd get another shot if this date went according to plan. What plan? I had none! 

I went to the bedroom to find the perfect outfit. Freddie could probably help with that. Although I didn't want to bother him if he was sleeping.

Fortunately, Freddie was awake lying in bed with Delilah. "Oh, darling," he purred, "you know these things all work out in the end. Remember when I thought Mary was my soulmate and how disappointed I was when her name didn't appear on my arm? I would've been miserable being with a woman. I just didn't come to terms with it at the time. And now I'm so happy with John. The point is you'll get through this heartbreak, and one day you'll find a good looking cat who you deserve."

Delilah looked up at me and hissed. She jumped off the bed and walked away. I wasn't sure if I was amused or disturbed.

"She'll get over it." Freddie said. "But there's a certain little siren who you really shouldn't be rejecting."

"I'm taking him to the sushi place." I announced. "We'll see how it goes."

"Darling, why are you so nervous?"

There was no point in lying to Freddie. He could read my mind. "I've never felt like this before."

"You're falling in love, Brimi. It's a good thing. I'm sure Roger will fall right back for you if he hasn't already." Freddie assured me.

"He tried to kiss me and I panicked and accidentally asked him out on the date before he could." I explained.

"Well it's great that you worked up the courage to ask him out, but why didn't you accept the kiss, Bri? First kisses are magical especially with your soulmate." Freddie sighed lost in thought.

Clearly he had experience in this sort of thing despite living in a tower for ten years. It suddenly made me feel like such an amateur. I had never even been kissed before.

"Really?" Freddie snapped out of his daze. "No cute huntress or hunter ever looked your way before?"

"No. I told you they all thought I was odd and I've come to accept that I am. I'm twenty three and I've never been kissed. Is that odd or just pathetic?"

"There is nothing wrong with that." Freddie assured me. "You've just been saving yourself for the perfect person, and now that he's here, this is your chance to finally do something about your lack of experience. Why are you in here talking to me? Don't keep Roger waiting."

"Do you think I need to change into a suit or something nicer?" I looked down at my jeans and clogs apprehensively.

"It's a casual sushi restaurant. You'll be fine. Don't worry about a thing other than covering up Roger's siren mark. Since it's on his hand it's quite visible. Maybe put a band aid over it?"

I didn't even consider that. What a lousy boyfriend I was when Roger's safety completely slipped my mind. I wasn't even his boyfriend yet. Just this date felt like a dream.

"Remember, Brian, odd people are the best kind." Freddie said.

It was moments when Freddie made these kinds of profound statements that made me treasure our friendship. In addition to being a lousy "boyfriend", I was also an awful friend. I had been so caught up in Roger that I failed to even congratulate Freddie and Deaky on their marriage let alone ask for details. I dismissed their union completely which was rather horrible of me. 

"You can make it up to us by getting us a wedding gift." Freddie said. "I know what I want, and I think Deaky will enjoy it as well."

"Name it." I prompted. They deserved anything they wanted even if it was something I couldn't afford. 

"Take Roger out and give us the flat to ourselves tonight." 

"I can do that." I said with the confidence that I didn't have. Not wanting Freddie to catch onto my nerves, I went back outside. Roger quickly put whatever book he was reading, probably A Clockwork Orange, back onto the shelf. 

"Ready to go, Roggie?" I gave him my hand and pulled him to his feet. He was slightly less shaky than before. Although part of me didn't want him to get the hang of walking and moving on two legs because I wouldn't have an excuse to hold him otherwise.

"Have fun!" Deaky called to us on our way out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maylor date next chapter! These two stubborn lovebirds may have their ups and downs, but they'll get through them together. Let me know what you think! Comments and kudos are ALWAYS appreciated. Thanks guys!


	9. I Want It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian and Roger go on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for over 2000 hits! It's been a while, but here's the next chapter as promised the super fluffy Maylor date. Enjoy!

_Roger's POV_

I toyed with the bandaid covering my siren mark above Brian's name. Having my markings on my hand was unfortunate because I couldn't easily hide them. It wasn't like I could wear a glove for the rest of my life. Besides, having something like a glove on my hand might interfere with my drumming.

"Leave it on." I shuddered as Brian pushed down on the bandaid to reapply the adhesive that was starting to peel away. My magic mark was very sensitive, but Brian's touch in general made the hairs on the back of my arm stand up. Was it a natural defense warning me that I was too close to a hunter or was I just falling deeper for my soulmate? It was definitely the latter. These were the good kind of chills.

"Can I drive?" I asked as we ventured outside the flat and approached the glorious car.

"You don't know how." Brian reminded me.

"You can teach me. How hard could it be?" I insisted. Of course, I tripped trying to step into the driver's seat. I could walk now, but that upward stepping motion was what got me. I would have to practice going up and down stairs. Before I could get up and dust myself off, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around me. I loved having Brian carry me around, but this time I frowned when he picked me up and walked me over to the other side of the car to put me in the passenger's seat. "Ah come on!" I protested.

"You don't have a license." Brian said as he buckled me in. "What if we get pulled over? We want to keep a low profile."

"But this is a machine of a dream!" I cried.

"Your pouty face is very cute, honey," Brian laughed, "but I'm afraid it's not enough to make me change my mind. Here, I'll put on some music to take your mind off it."

The song I Can't Get No Satisfaction came on the radio, and it couldn't have been more fitting. Well, I was going on a date with my soulmate, so maybe I could get some satisfaction. I would have to wait and see how this night ended before I decided.

 _"...And that was the Rolling Stones."_ The DJ announced. " _You know they're one of the last rockstars left not under investigation for hiding magical band members. I think it's only a matter of time until hunters start looking into Mick Jagger. They always start with the frontman, and then the rest of the band is put under scrutiny. Ever since Ziggy Stardust was exposed as a shapeshifter, it's like we've returned to the age of McCarthyism, and the music industry seems to be feeling it the hardest. Because of Tommy, now The Who and Elton John are being questioned, but they insist that the Pinball Wizard is completely fictional and none of them are actual wizards. Even former Beatle, John Lennon, is facing muse accusations. He and Paul McCartney haven't been on speaking terms since the Beatles broke up, but both of them are still being questioned along with their ex bandmates George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and even Lennon's wife Yoko Ono, who most people blame for the band's breakup. Not to worry though, we're going to keep playing all your favorite hits unless it's absolutely confirmed that the artists aren't human. Here's Come Together by the Beatles."_

"I still wanna be a rockstar." I said as the iconic riff blasted through the speakers. Even if we would be risking everything, I wanted that life more than anything else.

"Me too." Brian sighed.

"So why can't we?" I asked. "We'll just be super careful and cover our tracks so we don't get exposed."

"It's not that simple, Roger. I wish it were. I really do. Believe me I'd like nothing more than to be in a rock band and to tour the world and use my fame to save the badgers. That is my dream, but it won't happen. It's not worth jeopardizing your safety. Besides, you have to go home eventually."

Why the hell did Brian want me gone so badly? I was willing to stay if it meant being with my soulmate, but I didn't want to come across as clingy and desperate. "You know if Freddie and John are really serious about the band, I'm not going back home." I declared, not daring to allude to the other thing that was keeping me here.

Much to my surprise, Brian smiled. "The band would be quite a thrill. Doing what I love with my two best friends and my..." He trailed off and looked away from me and back onto the road.

"Soulmate?" I completed the thought.

"Yes. That is what you are," He paused, "and I can't ask for anything more."

_'One thing I can tell you is_

_You got to be free_

_Come together, right now_

_Over me...'_

Brian sighed and turned off the radio. "Hey!" I protested. "I liked that song."

"Roger, would you really be happy staying with us permanently? I know what you think I want to hear, but I'll be perfectly okay if you go back. And you don't have to make the decision right away. If you need more time to think about it, then I understand."

"Do you want me to stay?" I inquired, praying for the correct answer, but it was more than I could hope for.

Without saying a word, Brian docked the car in the center of the plaza. There were magic detectors and guards set up directly outside, but beyond them were shops and the promised sushi restaurant.

"Stay calm and make sure you're pockets are empty. All you have to do is walk through the detectors. You won't set them off thanks to the suppressants." Brian clicked the button to unlock the doors, but I reached over and pressed it again so they would relock. I would not stand for being ignored. "Do you want me to stay?" I repeated.

"Look," Brian began, "I don't want you to feel pressured just because I—"

Not even bothering to siren him, I leaned forward and closed the gap between us, giving him a rather forward kiss which he shyly returned. As much as I desired to continue and deepen the kiss, I pulled away right as Brian started to get more comfortable and less hesitant with his reciprocation.

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked again.

"Yes." Brian laughed. "Yes I really do."

"That's what I thought." I smirked, pressing the button to unlock the doors. This time I was more slow to step out of the car to ensure I didn't fall, but I put a purposeful strut in my walk as I headed toward the detectors. I turned around to see Brian still in the car, gawking at me with an adorable silly grin. My heart was pounding in my chest with excitement and love. Finally, I had him right where I wanted him. "Are you coming or not, Brimi?" I called.

Brian fumbled with the door and trudged out of the car almost as shakily as me. "W-where are we going again?"

For a second I wondered if I had accidentally sirened him. Most people acted confused like this when my spell wore off, but they would return to their senses in a matter of minutes. Although they weren't usually as flustered as Brian. For me, the kiss was just a tease, and I wanted much more, but like Freddie said, I had to leave some things to the imagination...

_Brian's POV_

My lips were still tingling, and all I could think about was how Roger tasted like an ocean breeze. I was definitely in love, and it scared me.

"Thank God for magic suppressants!" Roger exclaimed as he passed through the detectors with no issues.

If I could think straight I would've told him to mind his volume. Shouting something like that was not the brightest idea. But I could barely form syllables at the moment. The only time I ever got like this was when I was drunk. Love was a crazy little thing.

"Are you sure you're okay, Bri?" Roger drawled.

' _No.'_  I thought.  _'You're driving me mad.'_ "Never better."

"Whatever you say." Roger skipped in front of me with a precision in his wobbly step as if he were trying to show off his new legs. My eyes trailed his lower body from behind. He had to be doing this on purpose! He also faked being unable to walk just so I could hold him. It couldn't be a coincidence. I concluded that Roger did like me back or at least enough so to give me the kiss of a lifetime. Although I had nothing to compare it to, so it likely could have been a bad kiss. I had no clue what I was doing. There was no way that Roger—

"Come on! I'm fucking starving!" Roger was standing impatiently by the entrance to the restaurant.

"S-sorry." I stammered making my way over to him and holding the door open for him. This date was turning out disastrous. I needed to get a grip.

"Table for two please, preferably one by the window, so we can look out at the stars." Roger told the hostess, glancing back to wink at me when he mentioned the stars.

"Of course." She led us to a table directly next to the window with a decent view on the night sky. I gazed out trying to catch a glimpse of some stars, but the window was somewhat foggy. Still the familiarity of the constellations did wonders to calm my nerves.

"So what got you interested in space?" Roger asked.

"I've always had a passion for it, but I think it was watching the moon landing on TV that really made me want to pursue it. I just find it so fascinating how vast the universe is and how there's so much we have yet to discover." I said instantly feeling more at ease with the thought of stars and galaxies.

Roger nodded. "What intrigues you most about space?" He inquired.

"Well lately I've been really intrigued by space dust and I've been doing a lot of research on it." I said.

"There's dust in space?"

"It's called dust, but it's actually these smoky cosmic particles that..." Before I could stop myself I explained nearly everything I knew about the concept. Then I realized how nerdy and boring I was. I was so surprised that Roger hadn't lost interest and was still staring at me intently.

"I'm going to be honest I have no clue what you just said, but I loved the way you were smiling and so passionate when you explained it. I wanna try and understand it if it means so much to you." Roger remarked.

"If I wanted to I'd talk about space for our entire date, but I won't do that to you, honey. Tell me more about you. I want to get to know you better especially if you're going to be our new flatmate."

His blue eyes widened. "You mean it, Bri? You really do want me to stay?"

"Of course I do, Roggie, but only if you're happy. I can't have my soulmate being miserable."

Roger reached across the table and took my hand. "I like you a lot, Brian. You're smart and kind and you have great hair. I know we've only known each other for a day roughly, but I'm happy with you, happier than I've ever been at home."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I wasn't sure how to respond, but I knew I had to somehow tell him I felt the same way. "Roger, I—"

"—Are you two ready to order or do you still need a few minutes?" The waitress interrupted.

Roger licked his lips, completely ignoring the waitress and staring directly at me. "I know exactly what I want." He said seductively. It sent shivers down my spine.

I knew better than to adhere to stereotypes because I, for one, was the furthest thing from a hunter you could fathom. Regardless, I imagined Roger was quite good at luring sailors to their doom. I'd blindly follow the blond anywhere at this point. There was no turning back for me. I was at his beck and call. The stories were true after all. You do fall madly in love the moment you meet your soulmate like Freddie and Deaky. I was surprised it took me this long to come to terms with my love for Roger.

"You seem like you could use a few more minutes to decide." The waitress cleared her throat awkwardly as we gazed into each other's eyes oblivious to the world around us. "I'll go bring you some waters."

"Fuck. I actually am starving." Roger chuckled looking down at his menu for the first time. I also examined mine and was pleased to find a veggie sushi roll. Did Freddie plan this perfectly or was it a coincidence? Either way I made a mental note to thank him later. "Do you know what you're ordering?" I asked.

"I want it all and I want it now!" Roger declared this time actually referring to food.

I laughed. "I would order one of everything for you if I could, but we can only afford to get one roll each."

"Fine." He groaned. "Pick a number."

"What? Um 39." I blurted unsure of where Roger was going with this.

"Like your song?" Roger smiled softly.

"Yes exactly like the son—Wait. Did I show you my songs?"

Now it was Roger's turn to get flustered. Of course I didn't mind in slightest that he did a little bit of snooping, but I was cruel enough to let him sink into a deer in headlights look because it was very cute to observe. Roger pulled himself together when the waitress returned. "I'll have number 39 please."

"And I'll have the veggie roll. Thanks." I ordered.

"Veggie roll?" Roger wrinkled his nose. "Are you a vegetarian?"

Soulmate or not I was used to the look of both confusion and mild disgust that Roger was giving me. Thankfully I had something over him so he couldn't judge me too harshly. "Did you look in my songbook without permission?" I countered.

"Fuck! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have looked at them without asking you first, but you have to understand they were so good. You're really talented, and your songs shouldn't be stored away on a shelf. People should get to hear them."

Freddie and Deaky told me the same thing. Although Freddie was a much better writer than me, and for the past month I'd been covering his songs at my nightclub gigs. The humble muse didn't even want the credit, so I said the songs were written for me by Larry Lurex, a made up name. Even though Freddie insisted I claim them as my own, it felt wrong to steal from him.

"I perform my songs at nightclubs. The gigs are shitty and the pay is even worse, but it's a lot of fun. You should come. Maybe we can perform together as a drum guitar duo." I offered.

There was no reason why we couldn't perform in these nonprofessional environments together. Before Freddie came along I was trying to get John to join me. Now he refused to perform without Freddie which was understandable. Freddie's voice was something else entirely that words couldn't even describe and I felt so guilty that I had to protect him like this, but he understood that glowing in front of a crowd no matter how small the venue would mean the end for him. In the meantime though, Roger could perform with me if we covered his magic mark and had magic suppressants handy. It would be a great bonding experience and bring us closer as a couple.

"Are you serious?" Roger cried, touched enough by the idea to have tears glistening in his eyes. I couldn't help but smile. If Roger was happy, then I was happy. "If it means that much to you, we can definitely do it." I said.

"Here you are boys." The waitress returned. "One veggie roll and one tuna salmon roll with eel sauce."

"Number 39, my favorite." Roger said. He didn't even bother with the chopsticks. Instead he just picked up the sushi rolls and shoveled them into his mouth. I knew how hungry he was, so I didn't say anything.

"So is it just a raw fish thing or do you actually not eat meat?" Roger asked as I dipped my sushi in the soy sauce.

"I can't stand the idea of hurting innocent animals let alone killing and eating them. I just think it's wrong." The admission was usually met with laughter and taunts by my fellow hunters. Roger only nodded. "I get that." He said. "Fish are friends, not food." In between a bite of a sushi he added "Obviously I don't live by that motto because fish are delicious, but it's fine if you do. I mean you're a brilliant handsome guitarist. You've got to have at least one flaw. It wouldn't be fair otherwise." 

"Believe me I'm flawed." I said. "But you're not too far off from perfect." 

Roger choked on his sushi. "You're joking!" 

I shook my head. From what I had seen of Roger so far, he was an angel in my eyes, and it was time I let him know how I felt. "You're brave, funny, and very passionate. Those are all such admirable traits to have, and I can't wait to get to know you better to see what other wonderful things you are besides gorgeous." 

"I've been looking forward to meeting you my whole life, BHM, but you're...I don't know, this is much more intense than what I was expecting to feel. I was crushing on you all day, but after you agreed to let me stay and perform with you...I...I really really like you, Brimi." Roger blushed looked down at the unused chopsticks. "I don't think I want to siren you because I want you...I want this to be real."

My mind went back to the kiss. I knew what Roger was capable of, but I didn't consider it. "When you kissed me..." I trailed off, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer. I was sure I loved him. It couldn't be a siren's spell.

"That was real." Roger whispered. "I promise I didn't force you. I thought I might've used my magic accidentally because you were so caught off guard afterwards and kept staring at me like...like...well like you loved me, but it would've worn off by now, so you weren't sirened."

"I loved the kiss." That was closest I would get to outright saying I loved him. I knew it, but I wasn't ready to say it out loud. It was too soon. 

Roger smirked. "If you thought that was good, I ought to show you a proper kiss sometime."

"That wasn't a proper kiss?" It sure felt proper to me. In fact it rocked my world. 

"I ended it too soon to tease you and get my answer on whether you really wanted me to stay. If we kept going, it would've become a proper kiss." Roger explained.

"You did end it too quickly." I agreed. "But as far as first kisses go, it couldn't have been anymore--"

"--That wasn't my first kiss." He interrupted. 

"It was mine." I admitted. 

"Shit! No wonder you were so frazzled by it. Why didn't you tell me, Brimi? I could've made the occasion much more special. I just assumed a good looking guy like you had been kissed before." I shook my head, not sure whether or not I was flattered by Roger's response. "It was special enough for me." I answered.

"Let me kiss you again. We'll do it right this time." Roger insisted. 

"I'd like that." It was an understatement. Still, I wasn't expecting Roger to mistake my words to mean "I'd like that right now", but he removed himself from his chair and went to sit on my lap. "Rog!" I hissed, noticing the stares we were receiving. He ignored me, and cupped my face with his hand, brining his soft lips up to mine. Then I didn't care about anyone else in the room. It was just me and Roger. My soulmate and I were tenderly kissing in a brief but blissful moment that seemed to last forever but was still not long enough. 

When it did end this time, Roger didn't leave me to stare at him with wonder. He let me hold him as we both stared at each other wordlessly, the look in our eyes saying it all. I found the person who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

"Excuse me." The manager approached our table, and I knew we were in trouble. Roger only rolled his eyes, but I gently nudged him off of my lap. "This is a family restaurant, so if you're going to do indecent things, I suggest you dine elsewhere."

"Oh I see." Roger challenged. "It's because we're gay." Homophobia was actually not too much of an issue in the civilization because of the soulmate system. There were still the occasional close minded bigots, but for the most part, the society was pretty accepting and allowed for equal rights so long as you weren't a magical creature. I wasn't sure why Roger was trying to make a scene. Were same sex couples discriminated under the sea? 

"Your sexuality has nothing to do with it. You just can't do that kind of promiscuous stuff here." The manager explained. 

"So if a straight couple were making out, you'd stop them?" Roger countered. 

"No--I mean yes--I mean--You know what, the sushi is on the house, okay? Just leave now before things get out of hand." He stammered. 

"Gladly." Roger said, "Come on, Brian. Let's get out of here!" 

He took my hand and dragged me out of the restaurant before I could say anything. Then he started laughing. "I can't believe that worked! We just got a free meal." 

"We did." I realized. I began to weigh the pros and cons of the stunt Roger had pulled and whether it was morally acceptable. However, Roger was already walking away, whistling a happy tune to himself. Screw it! "There's an ice cream parlor around the corner. I can use the money I saved to treat you to a cone for dessert." 

"This night just keeps getting better and better." Roger exclaimed. 

***

_Roger's POV_

We sat on the curb, enjoying our ice cream cones. Before this I'd only managed to taste gross slushy spilled ice cream mixed with the salt water it was discarded into, but this completely unmelted chocolate scoop was sending my tastebuds on a journey they'd never forget. As I licked away at the treat, Brian gestured to the sky pointing out all of the constellations. A lot of them I did recognize from my adventures, but Brian knew so much more about the stars. He was a wealth of information and other surprises. At this point, I droned out what he was saying and just watched the sparkle in his hazel eyes as he spoke. I noticed his vanilla scoop was starting to melt. I snickered and took it from him, bopping his nose with it. 

"Roger!" Brian laughed, gently hitting my wrist. "You could've just told me I was boring you." He reached for napkin to wipe away the mess, but I beat him to it, licking it off and kissing his nose, then his lips. Our cones dropped to the floor, long forgotten as we kissed beneath the stars. I could seriously get used to this.

"Roggie." Brian pulled away breathlessly, looking so flustered and beautiful. "I..You know how I said you were my soulmate, and I couldn't ask for anything more."

"I remember something like that." I murmured, leaning in again for another kiss, but Brian put a finger to my lips to stop me. 

"I want to ask for more if that's alright with you."

"More?" I questioned tempted by the implications.

Brian shook his head. "You know what, forget it. Forget I said anything. It's dumb really. We're moving too fast. Let's just go back to kissing, okay? Pretend I didn't bring it up." 

"I'd love to keep kissing you, but I don't want to do that when I'm preoccupied with other things on mind. Tell me what you mean by more or I'll pester you till the end of time." 

"I...was wondering...Well...would you like to...be my...boyfriend?" The final word came out as a whisper. I thought I misheard it, but I was thrilled nonetheless. "I thought you would never ask!" I squealed throwing my arms around him. 

"You're okay with this?" Brian asked. He reminded me of Clare, always wanting to know if I was happy, but that was a good thing. I'd never get homesick because Brian reminded me of home. "I'm more than okay with this." I assured him. "And no take backs. You already asked to be my boyfriend, and I said yes. You're stuck with me forever, baby." "And I'm more than okay with that." Brian replied, kissing the top of my head.

I relaxed in his embrace, finding an odd sort of comfort in his hunter scent. "What a day!" I yawned.

"We should be getting back soon."

I was too comfortable to move. I closed my eyes, ignoring Brian's nudges for me to get up and off of him. "No." I groaned, clinging closer. 

"We can stay here a little bit longer," Brian caved, "but at least swallow another suppressant before we go through the detectors again."

It wasn't soon after I swallowed another pill that I started to drift off. We were talking about little nothings here and there, but the conversation wasn't too stimulating because I was so tired. I wasn't sure at what point I fell asleep, but the next thing I knew, I was lost in a dream land. "Alright, Roggie. It's time to go home." Brian shook me awake. "C'mon. Fred and John will be worried. 

"Fuck 'em." I slurred. "Let's stay here." 

"It's late. We've got to go." 

I defiantly closed my eyes again as Brian tried to force me up, but I wasn't budging. I refused to have this night end. It was just too perfect. So I was going to keep myself planted on the curb for as long as possible. "I've got to go to work early tomorrow. Come on, Roger." Brian begged. 

"Wake me up with a kiss." I prompted. 

My eyes were shut, but I could still see Brian rolling his. If he really wanted it all from me, then he had to put up with my stubbornness. "I'm not leaving without a kiss, Brimi." Teasing my boyfriend was definitely my new favorite pass time. Although I wasn't expecting Brian to actually give into my request. My eyes fluttered open in shock when I felt his lips against mine again. Then I allowed them to shut again, moaning softly. 

"That's a proper kiss." I sighed feeling the loss of Brian's body heat as he pulled away. 

"I gave you what you want. Can we go home now?"

"Fair is fair." I said, opening my eyes again and rising to my feet. I stumbled slightly, but Brian caught me. "Let's go home, Bri." I now associated the term with my soulmate. There was no need to go back to the ocean when I was already home.

***

"Thank you for such a lovely night." I yawned, waiting for Brian to fetch the key from his pocket. "I had more fun than I can ever remember."

"Thank  _you_ , honey. I had a great time as well. We should go out more often." He leaned down to kiss me one last time before opening the door. 

The light was still on, but all was quiet in the flat. Deaky had his head down on the table, fast asleep beside a plate of half eaten cheese on toast, and Little Dipper was running in his exercise wheel. There was no sign of Freddie and Delilah. John's snores subsided and he lifted his head up. "Oh...Hey...Welcome home. Sorry I must've dozed off."

"That's okay." Brian said, clearing the plates into the sink. "How was your time with Freddie?"

"He fell asleep shortly after you left, so I sent him to bed. Poor thing was so exhausted from using his powers." 

"It has been a very long day." Brian said. "I think we're all pretty sleepy."

"What happened to the floor pasta?" I wondered as Deaky took another bite of his cheese toast. 

"I decided it was unsalvageable, so I just made cheese on toast instead. Want a bite?"

I shook my head. I was full from the sushi and ice cream. All I wanted now was to go to sleep and dream about a certain curly haired guitarist. 

"So how was your date?" John asked.

"Perfect." Brian and I said in unison. 

"Ahh."  Deaky cooed. "I'm so happy for you. Here, Bri, let me help you with those dishes." 

"No, no. That's alright. You go to bed, Deaky. We'll see you in the morning."

John nodded. "Good night."

Even though Brian voluntarily dismissed Deaky, I still felt guilty watching him wash the dishes by himself. I came up behind him and snaked my arms around him. I stood on my tiptoes, pushing his hair aside, and planting kisses against the letters of my name written on the back of his neck. I laughed as I felt Brian shudder. "Here." I said, reaching over for a plate. "I don't want you to have to clean these all by yourself baby." 

The moment I put the dish beneath the running faucet, I knew something was wrong. When the water dripped down and touched my hand, I felt a tingling sensation come across my entire body. Brian turned to me, sensing that something was off. "Roggie, is everything ok--"

I fell forward as my legs went limp. The transition back to merman was painless and a blink and you miss it kind of quick, but somehow I knew it was happening.  "Fuck!" I cried. 

Brian gasped as he stared down at me and I prepared myself for a possible rejection. I knew Brian would inevitably have to see me in my true form, but that didn’t make me feel any less vulnerable. The return of my gills had me too busy gasping for air to gauge his reaction. “W-water!” I choked.

“Oh! Touching the water must have triggered your—“

“WATER!” I shouted more desperately feeling myself grow lightheaded.

“Shit! Of course. Don’t worry, honey.” My senses were flickering in and out as I ran out of air, so I could barley register Brian picking me up, but when I returned to full consciousness, I found myself in a bathtub with the tip of my tail sticking out over the edge. The shimmering blue scales were fully visible even beneath the bathwater. I was never self conscious about my tail, but that was because I lived underwater where everyone had one just like me. I didn’t even want to consider what was going through Brian’s head right now as he looked down at me. I waited for him to tell me that this couldn’t work, and he no longer wanted to be my boyfriend. “It matches your eyes.” He remarked softly. “Such a beautiful shade of blue.”

Brian ran his hand through the water not seeming to care that he was coming close to touching my tail. He didn't appear disgusted by me, so that was a good sign. “How’s the temperature? Do you want it warmer?”

‘ _Why are you still here?’_ I thought.

“Roger, are you okay? Are you still lightheaded? Can you breathe alright? Say something. You’re scaring me. Oh God! Why are you crying?”

I wiped the tears from my eyes not sure where they had come from. Wasn’t I just pathetic! “Do you still want to be with me?” I asked.

“What?” Brian cried. “Of course I do. Why would you ask me that? I thought we settled this. No take backs, remember? You’re stuck with me forever.”

“But that was before….you saw me like this.” I sighed.

“This doesn’t change a thing. You’re still just as beautiful. I might even say more so in this form because it’s who you really are.” Before I could protest, Brian leaned down and kissed me. “Finding you was the best thing that ever happened to me, Roggie. So please don’t think for a second that I don’t have feelings for you.”

I smiled, feeling at ease again. This  _would_  work even if our relationship was unconventional. We loved each other. I reached for him and pulled him down so we could kiss again. Brian settled himself down on the floor beside the tub so he wouldn't have to keep leaning over.

“So you think touching the water was what caused the magic suppressants to ware off early?” I asked.

“They teach us to learn for signs of undercover creatures in hunting school. Certain things can trigger your magic. It’s why I don’t let Freddie come with me to the nightclubs. The music might counteract the suppressants.” Brian explained.

“Keeping muses away from music and mermen away from water is fucked up.” I muttered. “It goes against our very nature.”

“I wish things were different and you didn’t have to hide, but until that day comes, I’ll be here to protect you guys and stand up for your rights.”

“You are the strangest hunter I’ve ever met.” I snickered, splashing him. “I mean I guess I should have been tipped off when you told me you were a vegetarian, but there were some other red flags too. Your special weapon is a guitar. That’s not a weapon at all unless you hit someone on the head with it.”

“Red comes in handy when needed. She shouldn’t be underestimated.”

“Seriously, hunter or not, I wouldn’t have you any other way, Bri.” I said.

“Likewise.” He replied and gave me another kiss.

“You wouldn’t like me better if I were a fat bottomed girl?” I taunted. “I hear they make the rocking world go round.”

Now Brian splashed me. “Well, you make  _my_ rocking world go round.”

We continued to splash, flirt, and laugh until I grew tired again and felt my heavy eyelids beginning to shut. “Stay with me until I’m asleep?” I slurred. My hand was hanging over the side of the tub and Brian was holding it. He squeezed it gently and brought it to his lips. “Of course, honey.”

I began to drift away, and I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not, but I could hear Brian singing softly to me what sounded like 39. I relaxed completely and let the tides of sleep sweep me away with Brian’s voice.

“… _Don’t you hear my call though you're many years away_

_Don't you hear me calling you_

_All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand_

_For my life_

_Still ahead…_

_I love you.”_

I could’ve sworn it ended with “pity me” and not “I love you”, but I had only seen it written on the page once and could’ve been mixed up. Plus I was basically asleep. My eyes didn’t open again until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they're not exactly up to "I love you" yet, but they're getting there! I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to get the next one out soon. It's probably going to be in multiple POVs, but I kind of want to focus on John because he's only had 1 chapter so far. What do you think? Do you want to hear more from Deaky or the other boys? Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. Stay tuned!


	10. Hurry Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie and John get into their first fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another super long chapter, and it's split between Freddie and John's POV. Heads up, we see a bit more about Freddie and John's backstories in this, so if you're uncomfortable reading about abuse, I suggest you skip the italic portions (although John's is more about the aftermath, so it's minor). Thanks for reading and be sure to leave lots of comments!

_Freddie's POV_

_"No more!" I choked, fighting to keep my eyes open. "I can't...do this anymore." Delilah bit down on the wires, attempting to unplug the machine measuring the magic waves. With what little strength I had left, I ripped the suction cups attaching the wires to my chest. I glared at my captors who were observing my every move, writing down notes. "Subject is showing resistance." One of them stated._

_The cage door was opened, and I scrambled backwards, in anticipation of my punishment. Delilah hissed at the devils in white coats as they entered the cage and approached her instead of me. Ah. The worst kind of punishment. "No!" I begged. "Delilah was just playing. She didn't mean to pull at the wires. Please don't take her away from me."_

_"You can have her back when you do what you're told." They carried her out of the cage and away from me. The cat whimpered and clawed desperately trying to free herself from the scientist's grasp._

_Delilah told me that they physically didn't hurt her whenever they took her away like this, but merely humiliated her by leaving her chained to a post like a dog. She would be okay, but I wasn't sure how I'd cope without her for the time being._

_"Come on, Freddie." A scientist bent down, pretending to care. "These people need your help! Do you really want to let them down? Just break one more curse, and then you can rest and you'll have your cat back, okay?"_

_I didn't trust that they'd stay true to their word, but I nodded anyway. Disobeying wouldn't work. I knew that too well._

_"Hook him back up and send in the Austins."_

_The suction cups were reapplied to my chest as a family was ushered into the lab. Two parents and a girl, my age, maybe slightly younger. She was really pretty, but I was in no condition to be searching for my soulmate. Besides, if the scientists discovered I fancied this girl, they may use it to their advantage. I didn't want her to become a pawn like Delilah. Too many innocent people got hurt because of me._

_Like most unsuspecting visitors, they gasped in a combination of shock and horror when they saw me in this sickly state. The parents made signals with their hands and backed toward the door. One of the scientists blocked them._

_"They changed their mind." The girl spoke up. "They said don't want to go through with this anymore, and I don't blame them. No one told us that the muse was being mistreated."_

_"Mistreated? No, you're mistaken. He's thriving. Tell your parents that they already signed the waivers and are obligated to our contractual agreement."_

_When the girl made hand motions to her parents, I realized they were communicating with sign language. Her parents must be deaf. Such a shame. As a muse, I can't even begin to imagine what life would be like without hearing._

_"They say go to hell." She translated. "You shouldn't be treating your subjects like this."_

_"I don't think you understand what's going on here." The scientist replied harshly. "This muse can break your parents' curse, and when he does, we can measure his magic waves with that machine he's hooked into so we can do research. We all benefit from this situation. Now you need to stop being such a little ingrate and let us get to work."_

_Everyone benefited except for me, but I had no other choice than to participate. If I wasn't so exhausted I wouldn't have minded helping this family. I liked them. They actually seemed concerned for my wellbeing. I watched them signing and exchanging sympathetic glances at me. I wondered what they were saying._

_"I know the curse is not my fault." The girl said, signing as she spoke. Her parents silently replied with their hands. She addressed the scientist again. "We'll do it if you let him go free."_

_'Good luck with that, darling.' I thought dismally. I had given up on escaping years ago. They wouldn't let a rare muse like me go without a fight. Besides, they would probably just dump in the outskirts where I'd either be killed by a demon or brought right back here by a hunter._

_"He's not being held here against his will. This is voluntary." The scientist lied through his teeth, but the girl narrowed her eyes in suspicion._

_"Freddie," The other scientist prepped me, "these are the Austins. Their daughter, Mary, was born very sick, and was going to die. So they traveled to the outskirts and sought the help of a witch. The witch healed Mary, but they took her parents hearing in return. They've been deaf ever since, but you can change that."_

_Such a tragic tale. I admired Mary's parents sacrificing so much to ensure their daughter would live. When civilians were involved I actively wanted to do what my captors demanded. But my fatigue made it so difficult. I attempted to sit up, let alone sing. I cleared my throat, but ended up coughing._

_Mary shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No." she whispered. "No one would ever agree to be kept here like this."_

_"You'd be surprised what kinds of things people agree to do." The scientist remarked. "Just look at your parents for example. They were dumb enough to make a deal with a witch."_

_"T-They agreed to it in order to save her!" I put a hand to my mouth, but it was too late. Why would I ever dare to talk back? I should have learned my lesson long ago. Talking back never led to anything good. A sharp blow to the head reinstated this message. I put my hand to the spot where the bludgeon hit and felt warm blood trailing down. Great! Now I would have to sing to heal this bloody wound as well._

_"If you wanna see your cat again, you'd better reverse their curse." The scientist who hit me threatened._

_"I am forever searching high and low..." My voice was soft and weak, but the magic was present. I continued allowing my song to reverse the curse over Mary's parents and keep her alive even if it was draining all the energy I had left within me._

_"...But why does everyone tell me 'no'?_  
_Neptune of the seas, an answer for me please_  
_The lily of the valley doesn't know_  
_I lie in wait with open eyes_  
_I carry on through stormy skies_  
_I follow every course; my kingdom for a horse_  
_But each time I grow old_  
_Serpent of the Nile, relieve me for a while_  
_And cast me from your spell, and let me go_  
_Messenger from seven seas has flown_  
_To tell the king of Rhye he's lost his throne_  
_Wars will never cease_  
_Is there time enough for peace?_  
_The lily of the valley doesn't know."_

_I collapsed  onto my back finally giving into the aches of overusing my powers. I really couldn't handle much more. It may just kill me, but they wouldn't allow that. They needed me alive so I could be used until there was nothing left._

_I was jolted awake by a pair of familiar claws. "Delilah, stop that!" I coughed, trying to sit up, but failing. My body was just too exhausted to move or respond._

_'Sorry, I didn't mean to scratch you. Just making sure you didn't die on me.' She mewled, nuzzling herself against my sore body and purring._

_"I wouldn't do that to you, darling. I'm not leaving you." I sighed. "And we're not leaving here anytime soon. That much I can tell you."_

_'They left the cage door open when they brought me back here.' Delilah noted. 'We could make a run for it.'_

_"Can't." I groaned. "Too weak."_

_Delilah's ears perked up. 'Someone's coming.' She wiggled her nose. 'It doesn't smell like anyone we know. Must be a newbie.'_

_"I can deal with anyone except Bob right now." I grunted._

_Mary poked her head around the corner, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw I was in here alone with just Delilah. The solitude wouldn't last very long. They'd be back to torture me soon. She should leave before she got mixed into this mess as well. Instead Mary bravely entered the lab, holding some sort of box._

_'Friend or foe?' Delilah hissed as Mary surprisingly entered the cage. Still on lying my back, I watched the stranger cautiously approach me. Always loyal and protective, Delilah was having none of it. 'You get the hell away from Freddie or I'll bite you! I have rabies.'_

_I rolled my eyes. "You don't have rabies, darling. You're not foaming at the mouth. Now be a good girl and let our new friend come say hi."_

_Mary laughed  and set the box down. She allowed Delilah to sniff her hand before reaching over and scratching that cat's ears. "Good kitty." She cooed. "Such a good kitty. You take good care of your muse." 'Damn right I do.' Delilah mewled, accepting the praise and starting to purr._

_Meanwhile, I tried in vain to sit up again so I could at least crawl toward the box and see what was in there. It had peeked my curiosity. Mary noticed my struggles and gave me a hand pulling me to my feet._

_"I think you're my soulmate." I froze when the words left her sweet lips. No! It couldn't be. Mary was literally the first girl I met. What were the odds? Then I saw that her eyes were looking at my arm. "Darling, it's cheating when you read it off of me." I said._

_"You're not supposed to say..." Mary scratched her left shoulder. My head told me that she had different words tattooed there, but my heart insisted that' she was the one. "Oh never mind." Mary shrugged. "I came here to say thank you for what you did for my family. My mom baked you chocolate chip banana bread. We were going to give it to you as a gift after you broke the curse, but they ushered us out and wouldn't even take it to give to you on our behalf." She picked up the box and handed it to me. "I don't believe for one minute you're on some special diet like they claim."_

_"No diet. None at all. I'm starving." I said. "Thank you, Mary. Tell your mom I appreciate it."_

_"You can tell her yourself when I get you out of here, and she'll be able to hear you say it of course." Mary said with a naive smile._

_Too many failed escape plans tainted my optimism. "I'm glad I could help you and your parents, but you shouldn't be here." I said. "If they find out you're in here with me...Please, darling, you need to go now."_

_The sound of footsteps made Mary tense. She planted a chaste kiss on my cheek. "Stay strong, Freddie. I'll be back soon. I'll bring more food."_

_With that, she left me, disappearing mere seconds before the scientists returned and locked my cage. I hid the box of banana bread behind the magic wave measuring machine._

_"Subject is awake. We will continue to observe his bond with his healed pet after the two have been separated for a short period..."_

_I looked down at my arm in anticipation. 'I think you're my soulmate.' Any moment now those words would be replaced by 'Mary Austin.'_

_"Subject seems unusually happy . His prominent muse teeth are quite noticeable..."_

_'Fuck them.' Delilah growled as I put my hand in front of my mouth in embarrassment. 'You go ahead and smile, Freddie.'_

_"Do you think Mary's the one?" I asked in a whisper fully aware how monitored I was._

_'Honestly, I thought you were gay, but she did say the thing on your arm. So maybe she is the one.'_

_"I'm not..." I stopped myself from saying the word gay out loud. The last thing I wanted was the scientists to overhear this conversation. "At least I don't think I am. I don't know. I've never really thought about it before."_

_Could I be gay? It was possible. I fancied men, but never acted on any of those feelings. Mary had caught my eye. If I were gay, then I wouldn't be so interested in her. She wouldn't be my soulmate. I waited for her name to appear on my arm, but it never did...'_

I blinked open my eyes to the soft rays of sunlight trying to break through the drawn blinds. Oh good. It was nothing more than a memory fading within a dream. I was no longer confined to that horrid lab anymore. I was finally safe in a happy home with the love of my life, and it would stay this way. I began to sit up, but I couldn't, and I panicked. Was my body failing me again like it had when I was abused and pushed to my utter limits?

"Freddie?" Deaky loosened his grip from around my body that had me pinned to the bed. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized that it was merely my lover holding me in my sleep like he always did.

Memories of last night returned. I was so excited to be alone with Deaky and celebrate our union, but I was so exhausted from using my magic that I had collapsed on the table as he was preparing us dinner. Clearly it was morning now. Damn it!

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" John asked softly. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"I ruined our date." I sighed. "How could I do that to you? You deserve better. Tell me how I can make it up to you."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault." He kissed my lips despite having just woken up and not brushing our teeth. "I still had a good time. I got to tuck you in and make sure you and Delilah were all warm and snuggly. Then I ate some cheese on toast and joined you for some sleepy cuddles. All in all not a bad night."

"But I wasn't awake to return your sleepy cuddles." I pouted. "That's okay." Deaky replied. "We can have sleepy cuddles tonight, and tomorrow night, and the night after that, and every night for the rest of our lives. That's how you can make it up to me."

"You're letting me off the hook too easily, darling." I said with a smile. As John rose to get out of bed, I pulled him back down, wrapping the sheets around us. "Stay here with me, dear." I cooed, giving him a tender kiss. "I have nowhere else I'd rather be." Deaky giggled.

"Do you know that I love you?" I whispered. "Do you?" John teased. "Huh. I hadn't noticed." "Well then I haven't been doing a good enough job." I declared, showering him with more kisses. 

Deaky rolled up my sleeve, revealing his name. He kissed the sensitive muse mark next to it making me shiver. ' _Love you too.'_  He thought. "But we have to get up now."

"What time is it?" I yawned. This time I was able to sit up without any issues. I was completely refreshed. I wanted to believe it was Deaky's love that did the trick, but a good night's sleep always rejuvenated me whenever I was drained. I wondered if I could get through today without having to use too much energy. I wanted to save my strength for tonight when we returned to this bed for the promised sleepy cuddles.

"Shit! It's 10. Oh God! We overslept!" John fell into a panic when he noticed the clock. I was a bit slower to react, but when it clicked I also freaked. We were supposed to be at work two hours ago, and today was the day I was going to be awarded professor of the year. In the back of my mind, I still maintained a plan of quitting because of Bob and the lab. Even if Bob didn't expose me, how could I continue working there when I was consciously aware of what was happening right below my nose.

"How could this happen?" John cried. "Did we sleep through the alarm? Why didn't Brian wake us up?"

I ripped the towel that barricaded Brian's bed from ours. "Brimi, get your poodle ass up! We're late for—" The bed was empty. Well, Delilah was curled up in a little ball on his pillow, but there was no sign of him.

Then I heard the familiar sound of guitar coming from the other room, and I knew Brian was fine. Although why he was playing while we were supposed to be at work was beyond me. "What is he doing?" Deaky wondered.

We left the bedroom hand in hand to examine what was going on. Brian was on the couch strumming the red special with Roger nestled next to him, leaning against his shoulder as he played. The image was sweet, but it was made even cuter by the fact that Roger was practically drowning in one of Brian's oversized hoodies. "Ahhh!" Deaky squealed.

Roger looked up. "Hi Freddie! Hi Deaky! Did you sleep well?"

"Never better." I said, which was true nightmare withstanding. My energy was fully restored, and I was ready to face the day. It was turning out better than expected so far. "When did this happen, lovies?" I asked. "When did what happen?" Brian asked cluelessly.

"You two." John insinuated.

"What about us?" Roger asked with a smirk, obviously knowing exactly what dirty details we wanted. Brian remained oblivious, but that didn't mean he was innocent.

"I say since we're already late to work, we take the day off to celebrate your successful date. I'm assuming it was successful. Am I right, darlings?" I ventured.

"Is  _that_  what you want to know?" Brian wondered, flushing slightly. It was not as cute as Deaky's blush, but it was certainly a spectacle that told me everything I needed to know.

"Oooh! Delilah is going to be one sad kitty." I laughed.

"Anyway," Brian tried to avoid the subject, "Reid called this morning. The university is on lockdown because the police are investigating the disappearance of a certain siren, so work is cancelled today. For some reason Reid wants me to drop by to discuss some things this with him afternoon, but I think the three of you should lay very low until we find a way to resolve this."

"I'm going to pick up a refill on the magic suppressants." John said. "Then maybe we can go see Star Wars or something."

"I don't like Star Wars." I dismissed. "What other movies are out?"

"Jaws." He suggested.

"Killer sharks?" I shook my head. "Never my scene, darling. Now a movie about killer queens, on the other hand, I'd be willing to go see."

"I wanna see a movie about killer sharks. That sounds fucking awesome!" Roger exclaimed. "Can we go?"

"No, I have a better idea!" I proclaimed. "Let's go shopping! Roger, as adorable as you are in Brian's clothes, you need some outfits of your own. Deaky, you deserve an entire catalogue worth of clothing, and Brimi, I bet you could use a new pair of clogs."

"That would be nice." Brian agreed, "But there's no way we could afford it all."

"Or we could just window shop, and I can recreate everything I see in the store for free. Perks of befriending a muse. You three can all be my models."

"Oh yeah." Roger recounted. "Your magical clothes kind of disappeared when I went back to my true form last night. Sorry about that."

"My clothes are never permanent, dear. They're for one time use only. You'd think I'd ever allow for outfit repeating!"

I dramatically struck a pose, and belted a note, calling on my magic to replace my pajamas with a stylish fur coat. I waited patiently for the desired effect, but nothing happened apart from the red special flashing golden which was odd, but I had seen that thing do crazier things like electrify demonesses.

It normally required no effort for me to form clothing with my voice, but this time I tried putting forth a bit more energy. I sang louder again in anticipation of my beautiful coat. Why the hell wasn't this working? What was wrong with my magic?

"Bri, I think there's something wrong with the red special." Roger said, reaching over to touch the glowing guitar. "Ouch!" He pulled his hand away and sucked on it. "Fucking shocked me."

"Let me help you, darling." Out of habit, I took his hand and sang to it to ease the pain, but my voice wasn't releasing any magic.

"I don't understand." Brian murmured staring down at his guitar. "The last time something like this happened was in the outskirts, but I was being attacked."

"When I was caught in a hunter's net, I couldn't siren him to get away, and his hammer was lighting up golden just like the red special is now. Apparently when he was holding it, it blocked my powers." Roger explained.

"Of course!" Brian exclaimed. "It's a defense mechanism. I've just been using red as a regular guitar instead of a special weapon, so I never caught on that it can block your powers to protect me."

"So you mean my voice is useless whenever you're holding the red special?" I summed up.

"I wouldn't call it useless, Freddie. You still sound spectacular, and that's an understatement." Brian remarked.

"Of course I do, darling. I'm a muse. I'll always sound good. What I mean to say is that I can't use my magic."

"I probably can't siren you either." Roger assumed. "Not that I would want to as we discussed last night." He planted a kiss on Brian's cheek. The guitarist stiffened as he was uncomfortable accepting such displays of affection in front of others. I only smiled because Roger's actions confirmed my theory on what happened between the two of them last night. I was tempted to poke through their heads to get the specifics, but it felt like an invasion of their private intimacy. I loved Deaky and would proudly announce that fact to the world with a megaphone, but even I cringed at the thought of an outsider observing my innermost passionate thoughts about my lover.

"This is the closest I've felt to being a real hunter." Brian said.

"You are a real hunter." Roger reminded him. "You just don't act like one."

"Thank God he doesn't!" I rejoiced.

"Let's test it." John said. He shut his eyes and sucked in a deep breath attempting to shapeshift, but his features didn't change in the slightest. "Am I still me?"

"Yes dear. You're still your beautiful self." I confirmed.

"I can't believe I haven't thought of this before." Brian said excitedly. "Freddie, sing something!"

 _"Can anybody find me somebody to..."_ I looked down at my body and grinned. The red special was the only thing glowing.  _"Love"_ Brian and Roger harmonized with me.

"Do you know what this means, darlings?" I cried. "We can do it! We can be rockstars! I won't expose us!"

"We really can!" Brian proclaimed and Roger screamed with enthusiasm. I laughed jubilantly jumping for joy. I reached out for Deaky and pulled him into my arms. "This is really happening!" I shouted.

The phone rang, interrupting our celebration. I ran to answer it. "Hello, this Freddie, John and Brian's flat. Freddie speaking."

"Freddie, my boy!" It was Reid. "Listen--"

"--No, you listen now, darling. You can kiss my ass goodbye! I qui--" Brian grabbed the phone from me. "Oh, that Freddie is such a jokester! How are you, sir?"

"Suck up." I muttered.

"Brian's right, Freddie. We can't just quit our jobs." Deaky said. "We won't become successful overnight, and we'll need the money. The plan was to keep a low profile and try to get Bob fired, remember?"

"And you want me there as soon as possible?" Brian inquired. He nodded and rose to his feet. "I understand. I'll be on my way."

"No, Brimi! Don't go!" Roger clung to him as he hung up the phone. "I'm sorry. Reid needs me. It'll only be for a few hours, honey. Freddie and Deaky will take good care of you."

"What does Reid want from you?" I demanded.

"Well I have good news and bad news." Brian said, still trying to pry Roger off of him as he reached for his coat.

"Good news first." Deaky prompted.

"Bob is fired for letting Roger escape."

I continued to hold my breath knowing that there was bad news to follow. I held Deaky's hand waiting for Brian to deliver it. "Reid wants me to recruit a new team of scientists for the project."

"Tell him no!" I shouted.

"Tell him he can go fuck himself." Roger added.

"Tell him that you think the fundings should be used to continue your animal preservation project instead of a torture chamber." Deaky said.

"That would be ideal, but I doubt Reid will listen to me. He really has his mind made up. I'm just going to try my best to stall the project and keep you three out of harm's way." Brian took his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to John. "I'll walk to work so you can have the car for the day. Have fun and stay out of trouble!"

As soon as Brian left, Roger turned to us. "So which one of you is going to teach me how to drive?"

***

 _"I want to ride my bicycle_  
_I want to ride my bike_  
_I want to ride my bicycle_  
_I want to ride it where I like..."_

I sang at the top of my lungs as I pedaled down the road. I had magic suppressants in my system to keep me from glowing, and I was moving much too quickly for anyone to get a good look at me. They say you never forget how to ride a bike. The funny thing is I don't remember learning how nor do I have any memories of actually riding one. All I knew was that there was no way in hell I was going to sit in the backseat of the Jeep while John taught Roger how to drive, and there just happened to be a dusty bicycle in the closet. Deaky said it belonged to Brian. I figured he wouldn't mind if I borrowed it.

"Isn't this fun, Delilah?" I asked, letting go of one of the handlebars so I could reach into the basket and scratch her ears the way she liked.

' _We're going to the fishers' market, right?'_

I laughed. Typical Delilah. "If I can get a decent bargain on the tuna, but otherwise, we'll have to stick with your normal cat food. It's much cheaper. When we're rockstars and we have fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, I'll feed you gourmet meals every night."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. My fur coat was delightfully stylish, but it was very impractical to wear in the middle of August. August. Shit! I stopped pedaling and came to a halt in the middle of the street. "Delilah, Deaky's birthday is next week, and I haven't gotten him anything yet. I'm a horrible boyf--Husband! Fuck I can't even remember that I'm married to him! What am I going to do, darling? I have no idea what I should get him. Whatever it is, it needs to be very very special."

 _'Yarn.'_ Delilah mewled without hesitation.

"No. I am not getting him yarn."

_'Red laser dot?'_

"You're thinking like a cat! I'm not getting you a present. It's for John. What do you think  _he_ would want?"

 _'Can I get a present too?'_ Delilah purred.

"Focus, darling! We don't have much time before we have to meet Roger and Deaky at Biba. We need to get the gift without John knowing so it's a surprise."

_'Well maybe there's something at Biba that John would like. Why else would he suggest we meet up there? He must like the store.'_

"That's actually a brilliant idea, and here I thought you were going to suggest I get him a scratching post." I laughed.

_'Ooh! Can we got one of those for me please?'_

"We'll see, dear."

Much to Delilah's dismay, I turned around and headed in the direction of clothing store, Biba, instead of the fishers' market. Deaky said he was going to drop Roger off there after their driving lesson and then go to the doctor's office which was in walking distance. I had never been to Biba before, but John suggested that I start there when looking for the latest fashions to inspire me to create new wardrobes for Roger.

I parked my bike at the store's entrance and went through the magic detectors which was becoming rather routine by now.

Delilah cursed when we noticed a sign at the entrance banning pets and animals from entering the shop. "Perhaps this coat is more practical than I thought." I said, picking up Delilah and hiding her within the fur. "Now try to be quiet, darling. I don't want to get in trouble and draw attention to ourselves."

With a confident stride that said "I'm not hiding a cat in my coat", I entered the store and had a look around. It was very trendy, and I found myself right at home looking at all the different styles and patterns. I picked up a blouse I particularly fancied. It was in the women's section, but I didn't give a damn.

"I'm afraid we're all out of the large, but a new shipment will be in by next week..." I dropped the blouse when I heard the familiar voice talking to a customer. I felt Delilah squirming about inside my coat.  _'It's her!'_ She mewled.  _'Freddie, it's Mary!'_ "Shh!" I hissed.

"Yes, I think I can find you that in a different color. Let me just check with the..." Mary looked up and saw me staring at her from afar. It was her, my long lost friend who helped me survive the torture. Mary was the first and only woman to ever capture my heart. I couldn't believe I was seeing her again after all these years!

"Hey!" The customer rudely snapped his fingers at her.

"I-I'm so sorry." Mary stammered. "I thought I saw someone that I knew."

"You need to focus, girl! I told you, if you can't get me those pants in the large, then the least you can do is get me this shirt in a different color. Now get on with it! I don't have all bloody day!"

Unable to stop myself, I intervened. "You have horrible taste, and you shouldn't be taking that out on poor Mary. Can't you tell that even in a different color this shirt is not at all your style. Your build requires a more fitted look." I glanced around the racks ignoring the man's scornful glare. I retrieved a shirt that would do the bastard justice. "Here try this on. Trust me. You won't regret it."

His frown faded. "This actually does look like something I would wear. Huh. I've searched this whole store and you just spotted something within seconds. You must be magical or something."

"Just a talent." I downplayed. "Now go try it on. You'll look fabulous!"

"Take notes from your coworker here." The man told Mary as he went into the fitting room.

"Actually I don't work h—Oh never mind." I sighed and turned to Mary who was staring at me in disbelief.

"Hello again, my love." I greeted her.

"Oh Freddie!" She hugged me. "I've missed you so much."

I felt Delilah uncomfortably clawing against me at the pressure of Mary's embrace. "Careful, darling!" I lowered my voice, "I've smuggled Delilah in here. She's in my coat."

"Of course you would do that." Mary laughed. "You haven't changed a bit, have you!" Her eyes were teary as she looked me over. "Look at you! You're healthy and fit as you should be and handsome as ever. I really don't believe it! I thought you were dead, Freddie. How did you ever manage to get out of that hellhole?"

"I had some help, but I'd rather not talk about what I've gone through." I dismissed. "How have you been, Mary? You've been on my mind ever since I escaped."

"I'm the same as always I suppose." She said. "Things have been pretty uneventful for me. I started college and got a job here, and that's about it."

"Well I'm so glad I ran into you. I thought I would never see you again, and I've missed you terribly. We certainly have a lot of catching up to do. You should come over for tea sometime. I'm sure my flatmates wouldn't mind." I invited.

"Yes. Tea would be lovely." Mary agreed. "Oh, it's so good to see you again, Freddie. I have my break in about ten minutes. We can talk more then."

_John's POV_

"Wow!" I proclaimed as Roger zoomed through the streets with precision. "You're a natural!" I barely had to give him any advice. Although he was driving a bit too fast for my liking, he had perfect control over the car. "Are you sure this is your first time behind the wheel?"

"I read the manual." Roger replied shrugging as if it were no big deal. "Aren't cars great? They're the true love of my life."

"Don't let Brian hear you say that." I laughed.

Roger smiled. "Well, I love him too."

I knew it! I was so excited for them. And to think, Brian was going to let him go. The two just needed to work things out. "Have you told him you loved him yet?"

"Um, not exactly." Roger said. "But I think he knows."

"Tell him." I prompted.

"I don't know. Things are going really well right now. I don't want to scare him away. It might be too soon. I've never felt like this so early on in a relationship. Actually I've never felt like this in any relationship to be honest."

"It's a soulmate thing. It can be pretty intense, especially in the first few days, but you'll get used to it soon." I assured him. "It will only get better with the more time you spend together."

"I hope so." Roger said. He laughed as he slammed on the accelerator trying to get through a yellow light before it turned red. "This is so much fun!"

"You might want to take it easy." I advised gripping the seat. I really didn't picture myself dying like this. Even when Roger slowed down, I still didn't let go of the seat. My knuckles had gone white from clinging so tightly for dear life.

"Oh relax! You're just a big ball of nerves. You've got nothing to be afraid of. I know what I'm doing."

"This is your first time driving. How can you know what you're doing?" I cried.

"I told you I read the manual." Roger insisted.

The manual just explained how the car worked; it didn't say a thing about driving itself. Why did I agree to this? I should have gone biking with Freddie. I closed my eyes and wished to be somewhere else. As if my prayers were answered, I felt the fast jerking of the car come to a stop. I opened my eyes. Roger had pulled over and put the car in park. He was staring at me with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay now that we've stopped."

"I promise I'll go slow if it really freaks you out that much." Roger promised. He shifted into gear and this time drove at a moderate speed.

"So I'm guessing you're not much of a daredevil like me." Roger broke up the silence that passed between us. I shook my head. I was the furtherest thing from brave that you could imagine.

"What was the last major risk you took?" Roger inquired.

"I disguised myself as a sadistic scientist to help Freddie rescue you." I recalled. It felt like years ago even though it was only yesterday.

"And look how great it turned out. You got me! The point is, Deaky, sometimes risks are worth the reward. You've got to live a little and have some fun."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." I murmured. "Are you ready to go to Biba now?"

"Can we drive around just a little bit more please? I'm having a great time! I promise I'll keep going slow so you don't have another panic attack." Roger begged.

"Oh alright." I caved. Hopefully we wouldn't keep Freddie waiting too long, but something told me he would manage to stay very occupied looking at all the trendy clothes. That was part of the reason why I chose Biba as our meeting spot. I didn't want Freddie to be bored while waiting for me to come back from the doctor.

"So how did you end up as Brian's roommate?" Roger asked. "He told me about how he found Freddie in the outskirts, but he said he wasn't really comfortable talking about how he met you unless he had your permission."

"He needed a flatmate and I was available." I stated a bit on edge. Freddie was the only one who knew exactly what I had gone through before meeting Brian. I liked Roger, but I didn't feel that comfortable opening up to people, let alone people who I just met.

"Huh. Well that really clears things up. Thanks, Deaks." I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Alright. I think that's enough driving around in circles. Let's head to Biba and go see Freddie." I directed.

"However you met Brian, it couldn't have been as embarrassing as my grand escape from the lab." Roger said. "I was pretty pathetic, wasn't I?"

I shook my head. "You have no idea how much of a mess I was."

' _Brian wasn't like Tim at all, but I was still suspicious that the medicine, shower, clean clothes, and warm bed he offered me were all part of some kind of trap. I was too tired to try and escape. I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't slept on the floor. Just when I began to relax, I heard a knock at the door. My heart lurched in my chest. Sure, Tim never knocked and just barged in on me, but the knock didn't mean anything. I was in a hunter's flat and at at the mercy of his whim. When I didn't respond, Brian came in with a bowl of soup. "Sorry if I woke you, but you need to eat something, and better now when it's hot."_

_Yes, this was a trap for sure. Tim did this sort of thing to me all the time. I knew how to respond from experience so he wouldn't dump the boiling hot soup on my lap. Although Brian might be more lenient than Tim, I still understood the gist of what he wanted. "No, sir. I'm not worth all this effort. Let me cook for you."_

_"Bollocks!" Brian cried. "I told you to stop with the sir. I know that my kind doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to dealing with magical creatures to put it lightly, but I swear on my life I'm not like the others. You're my equal. I want to help you."_

_He gave me the bowl along with a spoon, and I stared up at him unsure of what to do. "C-Can I eat?" I flinched in anticipation of the punishment for even daring to ask for permission._

_"Of course you can. You don't ever need to ask."_

_"T-thank you, sir...Brian. Thank you." I stammered. The soup was really good, and exactly what I needed to cure my cold._

_"Do you like it? It's a vegetarian twist on my mother's chicken noodle soup recipe. I could never eat it when she made it for me when I was sick, so when I moved out and started living on my own, I decided to make a version that I could eat."_

_Vegetarian hunter? Well now I'd heard of everything! Vegetarian or not, this soup was amazing, and I was super grateful. "T-thank you." I said again._

_"You're welcome." Brian said. "Is there anything else you need to make you feel better?"_

_I shook my head and continued to eat the soup which seemed to taste better with each and every spoonful. Soon the bowl was empty. I got up to put the bowl and spoon into the sink, but Brian took them from me. "I'll take care of the dishes."_

_"Y-you...won't punish me f-for not doing it?" I asked tentatively._

_Brian gasped. "Never!" He shouted._

_I smiled weakly at that startled reaction as if the mere idea of punishment was outrageous. Maybe Brian was trustworthy... Who was I kidding? I was in the civilization. Magical creatures were never tolerated here especially not by hunters. "I wish I could believe you." I sighed._

_"Whatever you've been through, you don't have to go through ever again so long as you're with me. I'll keep you safe. You don't have to believe me now, but I'll prove it you, and one day you won't be afraid anymore." Brian promised. "Now, is there anyone you'd like me to call? Maybe your parents or some friends?"_

_"N-No...I have no one." I fought back tears. My chemist friends were back in the outskirts, and they were the closest thing I had to family. Now that I was separated from them, I was all alone._

_"No one?" Brian sighed empathetically. "You poor thing!"_

_It was probably not the best idea to let him know that if he hurt me, no one would come after him seeking vengeance in my name. "I-I feel better now...I can g-go back to the outskirts...I won't burden you any longer. T-thank you for...for helping me."_

_"I can't let you go to the outskirts. That's a death sentence." Brian cried. "Please, stay here. At least for another day or two."_

_It was exactly as I suspected, he wouldn't let me leave. I wasn't fooled by Brian's kindness. He was just a softer version of Tim. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I fell back onto the bed._

_"You go ahead and rest. I'll wash these dishes. Do you mind if I take your wet clothes to the laundromat and have them cleaned for you? You can continue to wear my clothes in the meantime even if they are a bit big on you." Brian offered._

_I nodded. He was probably tired of hearing me say thank you, and I was scared that I might slip and call him sir again. I didn't want to get him mad. My goal was to avoid getting on his nerves. I was less likely to get punished if I remained on his good side._

_"John Richard Deacon_ _, is that your name_ _?" Brian had found my ID and forged papers so I could pretend to be human. My chemist friend, had given me everything I needed to go undercover, but he wanted me to go of my own free will rather than be kidnapped by Tim._   _He didn't know Tim would be the one to use the papers to smuggle me out.  "You're only 19?" Brian gasped._

 _I didn't say anything. The less he knew about me, the better. Brian might try to report me. After all he was a hunter, and it was his job. I looked around for any sign of his special weapon, fearing it would be used against me._ _"You have a prescription for magic suppressants here. Those are impossible to get."_

_"I-I have a magic allergy." It was a lie and we both knew it. The prescription was forged although the chemist who gave it to me did have a license to deal suppressants and was planning on opening a clinic in the magic mines._

_"You have everything you need here to live undercover. Whoever it is you're running from, they won't be able to find you if you use these tools properly." Brian said._

_"W-Will you report me?" I wasn't even sure why I bothered asking._

_"I know this is hard to accept, but I want to help you, John. Will you let me help you? I work as a recruiter for the only university in the civilization that doesn't experiment on magical creatures. I can get you a job there."_

_"Y-you called me John." I realized. He was the first and only hunter to address me by my name instead of freak or some dehumanizing slur. It was a shock, but I had to admit, it felt good._

_Brian looked down at the ID. "I know most of this stuff is forged, but I assumed your name and age are correct. Is John your real name? Do you want to be called something else?"_

_I was in a state of disbelief. He asked me for my preference! Brian was so different from all the other hunters. I still didn't trust him, but I was enjoying this taste of being treated with compassion. The chemists were the only ones who cared about me before this. Well, there was always my real family, but I had to accept that I would never see them again. They were likely dead._

_"I'm going to keep calling you John unless you tell me otherwise. Is that alright?" Brian said gently. I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes._

_"You're going to be okay, John. I'm going to help you get your life on track. After all I've been searching for a roommate to help me afford the rent, and I could really use a friend as well."_

_Surely he thought I was unworthy of his friendship. Hunters would never seek the companionship of magical creatures. It went against everything they stood for._

_"Things can get pretty lonely around here even if I do have Little Dipper. Most people abandon me when they learn about my belief system. I can't imagine why treating all creatures as equals and standing up for their rights could ever be so controversial, but it is." Brian sighed._

_"It's a messed up world." I muttered._

_"He speaks." Brian chuckled._

_I quickly shut my mouth. "S-sorry, sir. I'll only speak w-when you tell me that I'm allow--"_

_"--John, I'm not like those assholes! You don't have to be afraid of me. I want us to be friends and get along. Do you understand?"_

_The next word out of my mouth I regretted. "W-why?" Never talk back and never ask questions especially ones that questioned the motives of my captor._

_"Why?" Brian asked calmly. "Well, I told you I can't afford rent on my own, and I don't have too many friends. You don't have to agree to this, John, but I feel like it's the least I can do. You probably wouldn't be able to survive much longer out there on your own."_

_He was right, but I wasn't ready to admit that. "C-can I leave...i-if I agree? C-can I change my mind? W-Will you let me leave you?" Why was I asking? I was a prisoner here just like I was with Tim._

_"You can leave whenever you want." Brian replied. "I can't force you to stay here against your will, but I'd rather you be with me. I don't think it's smart for you to be roaming the streets all by yourself." He actually sounded concerned, and at this point I was questioning whether or not it was a facade._

_"W-what do you want me to do in return?" I asked. "I can cook, clean, play guitar, and I'm good at math." I tried to think of any other skills that might be useful for Brian._

_"You don't have to do anything for me, John." Brian said. "We do have some things in common though. I also play guitar, and I like math although I prefer science. What's your educational background if any?"_

_"I have an unofficial degree in both chemistry and engineering from the civilization base camp in the magic mines. I've been training under a team of chemists since I was fourteen years old." I explained._

_Brian nodded. "We might have to do a bit more forging, but I think I can get you a job you might enjoy. That is, of course, if you agree to be my flatmate. You don't have to say yes, but if you do, I'll help you stay undercover. You won't have to face this life alone."'_

"So do I dock it here?" Roger snapped me out of my reflection. 

"D-dock?" I asked. 

"Park. Sorry. I need to add all these awesome car terms to my vocabulary. Cars are so much better than boats, don't you think?" 

"I've never been boating so I wouldn't know." I replied. "Just pull into this lot right here." 

Much to my surprise, Roger parallel parked perfectly on his very first attempt. How the hell was this possible? I knew if I asked him again he'd just tell me he read the manual which was meaningless. 

I swallowed one more suppressant and gave the last one over to Roger before we went out to pass through the magic detectors. It was very important that I get the refill today. Fortunately for me, one of my chemist friends had opened his clinic in the civilization and now had a thriving business helping undercovers like me. I had been going to him for refills ever since Brian rescued me. Some stories do have happy endings. 

Speaking of happily ever afters, I found myself smiling when I knew I was going to see Freddie in a matter minutes. He could make me happy even in my darkest days. Surprisingly, Roger spotted my soulmate before I did as soon as we entered Biba. "Why is Freddie going into the dressing room with a girl?" 

Sure enough, Freddie was escorting a woman into the dressing room. He was holding up a pretty sundress. "Darling, please, you need to try this on. You'd look absolutely beautiful in it, and you can get a discount because you work here." "If you insist." She said. 

I nearly screamed when the two of them entered the dressing room together. What the hell? Freddie was flirty and would sometimes push boundaries, but he officially crossed a line. Not caring if the girl was undressing, I pulled back the curtain. Thankfully, she was just holding up the dress to the mirror. Freddie was standing behind her with his arms snaked around her. "I'm telling you, my love, this is the perfect dress for you." 

My love? I thought I was his one and only. I had to be. I was his soulmate. Freddie was gay for crying out loud. He wouldn't lend his heart to a woman. Still, my own heart was splitting in two as the site of them together. I never considered myself a jealous person. I allowed Freddie to flirt and have affectionate touches around others, not batting an eye when he referred to them as dear or darling. But "my love" was supposed to be special. I thought it meant something. 

"Deaky! Roger!" Freddie finally tore his attention away from the mirror. "Come meet my friend, Mary. Mary, these are my flatmates John and Roger. John Deaky Deacon is of course my soulmate and husband as of yesterday who I've been telling you all about." 

"Hi Deaky." Mary said, reach out to shake my hand. "Freddie was just telling me how special you are."

"Really?" I remarked, squeezing her hand a bit too hard and making her wince. "Because it looked to me like he was talking about how beautiful you look in that dress." 

"She does, doesn't she?" Freddie purred. "Oh, she is going to look absolutely stunning when she--John, my love, where are you going? You just got here!" 

"I have to go to the doctor to get a refill on the magic suppressants. You seem like you're doing fine without me." I said. 

"Hurry back." Freddie replied. I waited for some sort of apology or acknowledgement. Was I being too harsh? "Wait, Deaky!" My heart skipped a beat. "Yes?" 

Freddie opened his fur coat and Delilah jumped out. "I've been hiding her. I think she would have more fun going with you where she doesn't have to be confined to my chest." 

"Is that all?" I asked. ' _At least give me a goodbye kiss.'_ I thought, but I realized Freddie wasn't listening in on my thoughts right now. He had already gone back to be with Mary who was distracting him. "Mary, dear, after we're done shopping for the date tonight, you can help us find Roger some new clothes."

Date? No. Freddie couldn't be...Why would he be so blatant about cheating on me? He wouldn't do it right in front of my very eyes. I didn't know what to believe right now. So I turned and left to go get my suppressants. Maybe that was the only reason why Freddie stuck around. I was the one who provided him with the suppressants so he wouldn't get exposed. No! He was my soulmate and he loved me. But did he love me and me only me? That was the question I couldn't get off my mind. 

***

I returned to Biba now with a refill of magic suppressants on hand. I was hesitant to see what Freddie was up to in my absence, and for once I wasn't looking forward to seeing him. He and Mary were seated in one of the chairs beside the dressing room. Freddie had his arm around her. Meanwhile, Roger came out to model his new attire which of course looked great on him. He was in a black leather jacket and matching black leather pants. Freddie wolf whistled teasingly. "Roger, you sexy darling! You're going to drive all the girls stone cold crazy when you're up on stage drumming your little heart out!" 

"When's your first show?" Mary asked. "I'd love to be there and see you in action."

"And we'd love to have you there cheering us on. We don't exactly have a set gig yet, and we have a lot of practicing to do, but just you wait, my dear. When you see us in concert, it is guaranteed to blow your mind." Freddie proclaimed. 

I approached the duo and cleared my throat. "Deaky!" Freddie exclaimed. He rose from his chair and took Delilah from me and smuggled her back in his fur coat. Then he caught me off guard by picking me up and forcing me onto his lap as he sat back down. I was careful with my position so I wouldn't hurt Delilah. Mary scooted over slightly so that we could all fit on the chair.

"What do you think of Roger's new clothes?" Freddie inquired. "Doesn't he look great! We can afford to get them because Mary's giving us a discount." 

"That's very kind of you." I stated coldly. 

"Well it was the least I could do. Freddie helped me pick out the perfect dress for my date tonight. And the discount is for friends and family, so that applies to you. Any friend of Freddie's is a friend of mine."

"I'm not just his friend." I said sharply. 

"I was referring to Roger. The clothes are for him after all." Mary said.

Roger emerged from the dressing room now back in Brian's oversized hoodie. "Okay, I wanna buy these." 

"I'll ring you up." Mary said, taking the garment from him. 

"I love shopping!" Freddie giggled. He gestured for me to get up from off his lap, but I refused to move. We needed to talk. "Deaky, get off me, darling! I want to go look at more clothes." 

"You and Mary seem close." I said. 

"We haven't seen each other since I escaped the lab, but she was my first and only friend, so we are close." Freddie said. "I'm so glad I got a chance to see her again. I invited her over for tea next week. She adores Roger, but I want her to get to know you and Brian better. That way we can all be friends with her. Mary is our first fan. I'm so excited. Can you imagine, my love? One day we could be playing for a stadium full of people." 

"I'm sure you're just as excited for your date tonight." I said spitefully.

"What are you talking about?" 

 _'You know exactly what I'm talking about...my love.'_  I thought. "Shit! John, are you jealous of Mary?" Well it took him long enough to make that accusation, but it wasn't unwarranted. 

"I don't know Freddie. Should I be jealous?" I ventured. 

"No, absolutely not. Mary is my friend, nothing more. I love you." Freddie said. 

"Then why are you--" I stopped myself when I saw Mary greet a man entering the store with flowers. He kissed her. "Oh." I realized. 

"She's going on a date with her boyfriend David tonight, not me. Damn it, Deaky! Do you really think I would just abandon you like that? Mary is special and near and dear to my heart, but she's not my bloody soulmate. I thought you knew that I made a commitment to you." Freddie cried. "You're the person I love wholeheartedly. Don't you feel the same way?"

"Freddie, of course I do." I insisted. 

"Then why the hell don't you trust me?" He demanded. I flinched at his tone. Freddie never yelled at me like that. My soulmate was the one person I could always turn to, but now I wasn't sure what to do. "I'll be waiting for you in the car." I said and bolted out the door.

_Freddie's POV_

Yes, there was a time when I was in love with Mary, but that was a long time ago. I was more in love with the idea of having a soulmate, and I had come to terms with my sexuality since then. Mary was still my dear friend and such a helpful ally, but my feelings for her now were nothing more than friendship and admiration for all the times she snuck into the lab to bring me food and be with me. 

I felt horrible for yelling at Deaky. I was just so excited to see Mary again and I was a naturally flirtatious person. I didn't realize I had crossed a line, but looking back it was clear that I did. I had to make it up to him somehow.

I walked past Roger who was busy staring at himself in the mirror. "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere." I muttered. 

I made my way outside, but Mary stopped me. "Freddie, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, David. David, this is my friend, Freddie. He helped me find the perfect dress which is sure to wow you on our date tonight." 

David frowned slightly, but then his look softened when he breathed in my masked scent. There was no way he could tell I was a muse, I assured myself. “You’re married.” He let out a sigh of relief when he picked up on my merged smell. Mary rolled her eyes. “We’re just friends.”

“I should go.” I said. This was just too awkward, and I needed to assure Deaky that I loved him and tell him I was sorry. “It was a pleasure meeting you, David, and it’s always good to see you, Mary, darling.” I gave her a hug, but David put his arm around her possessively. Did I just flirt without even realizing it? What was wrong with me? Poor Deaky!

_John’s POV_

I watched Freddie talking to Mary and her boyfriend from the car. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but her boyfriend appeared angered by Freddie’s presence. I certainly didn’t blame him, and I was glad that I wasn’t alone. Was I being too possessive? I just didn’t expect jealousy to sting this much. I didn’t want to be in a fight with Freddie. I cringed when I remembered him raising his voice with me. When I saw Freddie give Mary a hug, I couldn’t stop myself, I just started crying. I knew I was overreacting and being really immature. I tried to get a grip.

In embarrassment, I held my face in my hands to hide my tears as Freddie approached. He tapped on the window. “John, open the door please!” Without saying a word, I unlocked the door and allowed Freddie to climb into the passenger seat. “Oh darling, it breaks my heart when you cry.” His voice was raw. “And this is even worse because I know I’m the one making you cry.”

“I-I’m sorry.” I sniffled. “I…I do trust you…I-I just…”

“I love you.” Freddie said. “And I didn’t realize I hurt you so much. I’m so sorry, my love. You’re the one for me, Deaky. I have a problem. I flirt too much, but I’ll try to work on it, so I never upset you like this ever again.”

“You’re a flirty person, and it’s one of things I love most about you.” I sighed. “I don’t know what came over me. Of course I know you love me. We’re soulmates after all. Just know that I won’t be so forgiving if it ever goes beyond words and hugs.”

“I would never do that to you, darling. If you ever think I’m crossing a line with someone else please tell me and I’ll stop immediately, but it won’t happen, so you don’t have to worry.”

I nodded. Feeling slightly better, I wiped my eyes. “A-are we in a fight?” “No!” Freddie exclaimed. “I’m not mad at you, dear. I never should have yelled at you like that. I’m mad at myself for hurting you.”

“I forgive you.” I said. “Can we move past this please?” “Yes. I’d like nothing more than to move past this.” Freddie agreed. “Let’s go home and have some sleepy cuddles.”

“It’s the middle of the day.” I pointed out. “Sleepy cuddles are at night when we’re sleepy. Can we have daytime cuddles?” “Daytime cuddles it is then.” Freddie laughed. He leaned over the console and gave me a kiss assuring me that everything would be okay. “I love you.” I told him.

“Meow, meow, meow, meow!” Delilah interrupted.

“Fuck! You’re right. I did forget about Roger. I’ll go get him and then we can go home.” Freddie gave me another soft peck on the lips before getting out of the car. “Hurry back.” I whispered. 


	11. Freddie and the Mercuries?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet David Bowie, and an encounter with a spider makes Freddie remember his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This story has more hits than any of my others. I know you’re probably tired of me thanking you for reading, but I’m going to say it again. Thank you thank you for reading! I love hearing comments from you guys too. They mean the world <3 This chapter features David Bowie and a talking spider because why the hell not?

_Brian’s POV_

I wanted the day off with the boys, but I had to go see Reid. What was I supposed to do? We needed the money. I couldn’t let Freddie quit or get on Reid’s bad side. The band was now a possibility and I could hardly contain my excitement, but it was important to be strategic. Until we legitimately “made it”, we would have to keep our jobs. I also wanted to do some damage control. Reid could very well be onto us, and exposure would mean the end of everything.

“Took you long enough to get here.” Reid said as I burst into his office. “Have a seat. We need to talk.”

“So on the phone you mentioned something about a siren.” I played dumb.

“We were supposed to announce our latest project today in front of the donors, but it’s all cancelled. You see, Brian, with the money Freddie brought us we were finally able to afford to buy a magical creature from the auction house for research. The only problem is that the damn subject escaped less than a day after we got him. I sent out a notice to the police and the beaches have been shut down, but I had to fire the leading scientist on the team.”

“You know how I feel about this kind of thing. I believe magical creatures should have equal rights. The reason I took this job in the first place was because it was the only university that didn’t experiment on them.” I attempted to dissuade him.

Of course Reid just laughed. “I find it so hard to believe that you’re actually a hunter. Have you ever met a magical creature? They’re conniving little bastards. What we’re doing keeps them from getting themselves into trouble, and we benefit through research. Anyway, I called you here to start recruiting more scientists. Eventually we’ll find that stupid siren and continue with the project.”

I decided to go with Deaky’s advice. “I really think the funds would be better off in my animal preservation program. I’m doing great things and the badgers are—“

“—I let you fund your little project before anyone took us seriously. Now we’re in the big league. We’re legitimate. The money is rolling in, and we need to put to good use. So either do you or job or I’ll have no choice but to fire you.”

Something told me I should take this opportunity to tell him off and quit, but I didn’t. We needed the money, and if I played my cards right, I could be able to sabotage the operation. It was easier fight from the inside than cause a disruption from the outside.

Before Reid could threaten my job again, the phone rang. He answered it. “What do you mean you haven’t found him yet? What? Are you kidding me? Fine!”

“Who was that?” I asked.

“It’s been twenty-four hours since the siren went missing. The police are continuing the search, but they have to reopen the beach. Things are not looking good. Damn it! We can’t afford to get another subject from the auction house. We can’t even afford to hire a hunter to—Oh my God!” Reid’s scowl turned into a grin. “Brian, the answer has literally been in front of my face this entire time! I could hire  _you_.”

“I am hired. I’ve been working here for a few years now.” I said not following.

“No, not as a recruiter. It’s about time you faced your destiny, son. I need you to be a hunter. You can travel to the outskirts and bring us back creatures to use as subjects.” Reid exclaimed.

“I told you when I first came to work here, I sought out this job because I’m no good at what I’m supposed to do and I’m morally against it.” I said.

There was a knock on the door. “Damn it! Not another interruption! Who could that be? The university is supposed to be closed.”

In walked a striking man with odd eyes that seemed to be miscolored. There was something about him that seemed really familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Hello.” He said. “My name is David Bowie. I heard you were hiring a new music professor.”

“We are?” I turned to Reid. He usually told me when we were in need of someone to recruit, but this was news to me.

“Yeah I forgot to tell you the music professor quit the other day as a sign of solidarity for Ziggy Stardust.” A strange look washed over the Bowie’s face when Ziggy’s name was brought up. Reid didn’t notice, but I did. “Well, it looks like you don’t have to recruit anyone because we already found someone interested in the position.”

“Yes.” Bowie said. “Here’s my information. I brought my guitar with me if you’d like to hear me sing and play.”

I looked over Bowie’s paperwork. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. I gasped when I saw his address. “We’re neighbors! I live in the flat next door. When did you move in?”

“Last night.” He replied.

“Well, sing anything you’d like.” Reid told him.

“Okay. I’m going to sing Space Oddity by Ziggy Stardust.”

“ _Ground Control to Major Tom_

_Ground Control to Major Tom_

_Take your protein pills and put your helmet on…”_

I nearly fell off my chair. He sounded just like Ziggy it was kind of eerie! There was something about Bowie that reminded me so much of the banned rockstar. Aside from his singing voice, his mannerisms and speaking voice also resembled Ziggy. He was probably one of those professional impersonators or something. But why would someone so talented want a job as a music professor here?

“ _…Here am I floating 'round my tin can_

_Far above the moon_

_Planet Earth is blue_

_And there's nothing I can do”_

I stood up and applauded, but Reid remained seated. “Shame that song is banned. You sang it really well maybe even better than Stardust himself.” He remarked.

“It is a shame that my—I mean Ziggy’s music is banned.” Bowie said.

“The real shame is that he went AWOL. That coward should have turned himself in and used his magic to help society. I think banning his music is a suitable punishment.” Reid said.

“Bowie, you’re hired.” I declared not only to spite Reid but also because he deserved the job. In fact I would deem him extremely overqualified.

“You can’t hire people without consulting me first.” Reid cried. I shrugged. “You’re here in the room with me. Isn’t that good enough?”

Reid ignored me and turned to the hopeful employee. “Bowie, congratulations, you’re hired! You can start as soon as we reopen the university, but that won’t happen until Brian here can track our lost siren.”

“We’re not reopening until he’s found?” I cried. This was not good! I had to protect Roger. Although maybe Reid putting me in charge of hunting him could be used to my advantage. I could just come up empty and declare that Roger was lost forever. Reid would buy it because I kept telling him that I made a horrible hunter. Eventually after my unsuccessful endeavors, Reid would give up on his quest and cancel the project altogether. My friends and soulmate would be safe.

“Bowie, we’ll be contacting you soon.” Reid dismissed. “Now, I need to have a private conversation with my recruiter and hunter over here.”

“Hunter?” Bowie gasped. He averted my gaze and quickly backed out the door in a sprint as if he were trying to escape. Was I really that scary? Reid payed no attention to Bowie’s abrupt exit.

“I promised the donors something big. I can’t reopen the doors if we don’t have a subject or any scientists on the job. We’ll become the laughing stock of the entire civilization. We already spent nearly all of the money Freddie brought in on that siren so we can’t afford a replacement or any backup plans. The bank has denied us any loans.” Reid ranted. “Brian, if you don’t find this siren, the university will go under and we’ll all lose our jobs.”

It was such an ultimatum. Maybe I could buy myself more time so that we could build up the band and possibly make the bare minimum to pay rent through gigs. It was risky, but I saw no other way out.

“Give me a timeline.” I said. “I told you I’m an awful hunter, so you need to give me a lot of time to catch him.”

“A week.” Reid said.

That wasn’t enough time. There was no way we could become self dependent off of our currently nonexistent band in only seven days! “And what happens if I don’t find him within a week? Am I fired?”

“Unless you can find me a real hunter who will do the job for the half the price they normally do, then yes.”

I nodded. “I better get started right away then.”

Hopefully the boys didn’t get themselves in too much trouble while I was gone. I was eager to get back to them (especially my Roggie) and start strategizing about the band and how to get out of this crazy situation we somehow found ourselves in.

_Freddie’s POV_

With the Beatles blasting on the record player, John was trying to teach Roger how to dance. Meanwhile, I was working on perfecting our band logo. I still didn’t have a name which would be added to the bottom, but I had a basic design with a phoenix and all of our zodiac signs.

“What do you think, Delilah?” I held it up for her to see. “Our band name will go right here beneath it. I was thinking of something regal and majestic, but catchy and somewhat controversial so the public will focus more on our name than our magical prowess. Any suggestions?”

Delilah titled her head to the side, her ears flattened as she gave it some thought. Then she came up with something. ’ _Freddie and the Mercuries.’_

I rolled my head back in laughter. That would work wonders for my ego, but the others wouldn’t be too keen on it. “Darling, I know I’m campy, but we’re serious rockers, not some heartthrob pop boy band.”

Suddenly I heard a loud crash, and the Beatles tune from the other room came to an abrupt stop. I ventured out to see what had happened. Roger had fallen and knocked over the record player. Deaky, being the sweetheart that he was, suppressed his laughter. I on the other hand couldn’t hold it back.

“It’s not fucking funny!” Roger shouted.

“Sorry, Rog, but it kind of is.” I chuckled as I set the record player upright again. “You’re like a toddler first learning how to walk.” I only laughed harder when he gave me the middle finger. Then Roger grabbed a Led Zeppelin album and flung it at me, and I didn’t dodge it in time. It hit me in the stomach, and the impact made me fall backwards onto my ass. Roger roared with laughter, and even Deaky had a smirk, but he was more subtle about it.

“Oh, it’s on!” I declared, reaching for another album to throw back at Roger. I pulled my hand back with a shriek when I spotted the creepy crawly eight legged monster resting atop the album I was grabbing. Roger went pale when he saw the spider, and without warning, he let out an ear piercing scream as high as a dog a whistle. I squirmed backward in an attempt to hide behind Delilah. She’d protect me from the horrid arachnid.

“Christ! It’s just a little spider. Will you two calm down.” John cried.

“Darling, be careful!” I exclaimed as he cupped the little bugger in his hands and transferred it into a glass cup. I ran to Deaky, taking his hands and examined them. “Are you okay, my love? Did it bite you? Do I need to heal you?”

“Relax. I’m fine. He’s a harmless little thing, no need to be afraid. Roger, you can stop screaming now.”

I peered down at the spider in the glass. Now that he was contained, our reactions did seem outlandish. “Hey there, little fella.” I greeted the bug. The spider crawled back against the other side of the glass in response to my voice.

“See.” Deaky laughed. “He’s more afraid of you than you are of him.”

_‘I screamed and hid under my bed as the spider crawled closer to me its beady eyes stared up at me intent on feasting on my blood. The door swung open and Papa came running in. “Farrokh, Farrokh, why are you screaming like that? What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” He crouched down and saw me quivering under the bed. “What is the meaning of this? You get out from under that bed this instant, young man!”_

_I shakily pointed my finger towards the spider. Papa chuckled and pulled me out from under the bed, forcing me closer to the arachnid. “That spider won’t hurt you as long as you treat it with the respect it deserves. Be kind to all the creatures on this earth. Remember good thoughts, good words, good deeds.”_

_Much to my surprise, the spider backed away from me when I timidly crawled closer to it. “See. He’s more afraid of you than you are of him.”’_

“Freddie, are you alright?” Deaky asked.

“Y-yes…The spider just reminded me of something.” I blinked, reinstating myself back in the present. I loved having these flashing memories of my family as of recent, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted them to continue. Eventually I would relive how we got separated. What if I couldn’t handle it? The glimpses of my childhood seemed so happy and loving, starkly different from what I remembered vividly in the lab all those years. It was like the memories belonged to somebody else entirely.

“I think I’m going to call him Barney. Barney the spider.” Deaky announced.

“Don’t name that bloody thing! It’s disgusting. Throw it out with the trash where it belongs.” Roger shouted.

“Roger, I know Barney might look scary, but we need to be kind to him and treat him with the respect that all creatures deserve. Good thoughts, good words, good—“

Roger knocked over the glass and smacked Barney with one of the albums repeatedly until the spider stopped moving. John was practically in tears. “You son of a bitch!” I shouted. “What are you going to do about it?” Roger responded apathetically.

I knew exactly what I was going to do. Cringing slightly, I picked up Barney’s corpse, and I started to sing. My energy drained fairly quickly, but I was able to get through just enough to see some movement and life return to the spider before I collapsed.

_“Now that you’ve learned how to ride your bike, you can travel anywhere within these walls, but do not go beyond the border. It’s not safe for magical creatures in the outskirts. There are demons lurking and even worse there are hunters who will take you away to the other civilization.” Papa warned._

_“There’s another civilization?” I asked._

_“Bomi, don’t scare him!” Mama chastised. “You don’t need to worry about that, Farrokh. Go have some fun. There are other little boys and girls out on there bikes who would love to be your friend and play with you. Just be sure to come back home in time for supper and stay away from the border.” She gave me a hug and a kiss and sent me out on my way…’_

I blinked open my eyes, still weak from having sang to save Barney. Brian was home. He was in the middle of a serious conversation with Roger about animal rights. I felt someone gently running their fingers through my hair, and couldn’t figure out who it was until I heard a familiar voice softly singing. “ _Ooh, you make me live…”_

“That’s beautiful!” I remarked. Deaky flinched, and I felt myself shifting as I was lying on his lap. “S-sorry, Freddie. I didn’t realize you were awake.” He pushed my hair aside an planted a kiss on my forehead. “How are you feeling, love?”

“Drained as usual.” I sighed. “But I’m okay.”

“Thanks for saving Barney. I appreciate it, and I’m sure he does too.” Deaky helped me up to my feet.

“I just remembered some words my father used to tell me, and I know he would proud that I did the right thing.” I said. “Or at least I hope he would proud.”

“I think you would make him very proud. You make me proud. I really love the things that you do.” John said. We shared a sweet kiss, but I interrupted it for a very important question. “Darling, what were you singing to me while I was out?”

“Oh!” Deaky’s cheeks flushed red. ‘ _He heard it! Shit! How embarrassing! We’re supposed to be rockstars and I’m writing things like you’re my sunshine and I really love you. There’s no way Freddie and the others would agree to something so cheesy as happy at home.’_

“I want to hear it, darling.” I insisted. “Even if it’s just for me and we don’t ever record it as a band.” I silenced Deaky’s protests with another kiss. “Guess what! I really love you too.” I whispered.

Unfortunately, the kiss was again stopped short this time by Roger who walked over to us with his head hanging low. He glanced back at Brian who nodded and gestured for him to go forward. “I’m sorry for killing Barney.”

“It’s okay, darling. We forgive you.” I assured him. “Where is Barney anyway?”

“Happy and safe all thanks to you, Freddie.” Brian said, pointing to the glass which was glued back together.

We all stared down at the spider in the cup. “You know he’s actually kind of cute.” Roger said, but screamed and backed away when Barney climbed up the side of the cup.

‘ _Yeah, you’d better run, you fucking murderer! They might have forgiven you, but I sure haven’t!’_ The tiny voice bounced in my head, and I realized we could communicate now thanks to my healing powers. I should have known that would happen as it had with Delilah, but it was still a shock. I decided to give the connection a test. “Barney, are you comfortable in there? Do you want us to let you go? Will you be happier outside?”

‘ _Why the hell are you asking me? It’s not like you’ll understand a word I say. It doesn’t even matter. I have a feeling if you let me go, your dumb blonde friend will just stomp on me or something.’_

“Come on. He said he was sorry!” I defended Roger.

Barney screamed. ‘ _Holy shit! The muse talks back. What the fuck? He understands! This must be a mistake.’_

“It’s not a mistake. I can hear you because I healed you.” I explained as calmly as I could.

I ignored the questioning stares of my soon to be bandmates as I spoke to Barney. I was having a conversation with a spider. I tried to wrap my head around the idea. Speaking with Delilah was such a natural thing for me. This felt strange.

 _‘So you understand?’_ Barney asked. I nodded in confirmation. ‘ _Huh.’_

“Is there anything you’d like to say to me?”

‘ _I’ve been living in your drain pipes for a while now. When you sing in the shower, it echoes and I can hear you. I figured you were a muse, but now I know for sure.’_

“Are you going to report me?” I teased. ‘ _Anyone I try to tell about you will squash me, so there’s no point. I’ve tried to explain the same thing to all the shapeshifters I’ve met over the years, but they just run away screaming.’_

“Shapeshifters?” I glanced at Deaky. ‘ _Are you talking about me?’_ He thought. ‘ _What is Barney saying about me?’_

‘ _Most can only transform into someone of the same species, but the talented ones manage to disguise themselves as animals.’_ Barney explained. ‘ _I’ve met quite a few exposed shapeshifters hiding in drain pipes as various creatures.’_

“Interesting.” I remarked. I wondered if this technique could ever come in handy for Deaky. If he ever needed to make a quick getaway, it could certainly help him evade danger.

‘ _But most shapeshifters just take on an alter ego and try to lay low once they’re caught. Like your new neighbor for example.’_

“We have a new neighbor?” I questioned.

“We do.” Brian said. “His name is David Bowie. He just moved in last night. Seems like a nice enough bloke, and he’s very talented. He sings just like Ziggy Stardust. It’s unbelievable. Anyway Reid and I hired him as the new music professor, but I think he’s overqualified to be honest.”

I gasped in realization. “Brian, I think you met the real Ziggy Stardust! He’s a shapeshifter. David Bowie must be his undercover alias.”

“Ziggy’s our neighbor?” Roger exclaimed. “No fucking way! That’s so cool!”

“That would explain why he fled the scene when he found out I was a hunter.” Brian said. “But if he is undercover, then he’s being too obvious about it. He sang one of his own songs for us.”

“Yeah but you didn’t figure out it was him until I suggested it.” I contended. “So it must not have been that obvious.”

‘ _I watched him from the drain pipe. I saw him shapeshift from one person into another.’_ Barney said. ‘ _So he probably is who you think he is.’_

“Wow!” I exclaimed. “We should go over and see him. Deaky, do we still have those biscuits? Maybe we can bring him some as a welcome to the neighborhood gift.”

“Well he’s likely terrified of me.” Brian sighed. “I’m not sure if a hunter knocking on his door would make matters any better.”

“You’ll be with us, Brimi. We can vouch for you.” I said. “Yeah.” Roger insisted. “Once he gets to know you, he’ll see how sweet you are.” “You call me sweet like I’m some kind of cheese.” Brian flirted and leaned down to kiss the siren. “That doesn’t make any sense, but I’ll take the kiss.” Roger laughed.

“We really did a great job getting those two together.” Deaky said as he prepared the tin of cookies.

‘ _Before you go, do you mind tipping the glass over so I can get out of here?’_ Barney requested. “Of course, darling.” Did I just call a spider darling? Well there was a first time for everything. “Delilah, be nice to Barney while we’re gone. Don’t try to eat him.”

‘ _I only eat mice and fish. You know that, Freddie.’_ Delilah assured me.

_John’s POV_

It was so good to meet someone like me. I couldn’t believe that the legendary Ziggy Stardust was not only a fellow shapeshifter, but also our neighbor! Granted, I was too shy to say much to him beyond the introduction and Roger hogged much of his attention bombarding him with questions. Luckily Bowie was very friendly and willing to answer all of our questions. I wondered if the fear of losing it all and getting caught (which unfortunately had come true) was what made him so down to earth.

“Bowie’s my real name.” He explained. “Ziggy was the stage name. I did that on purpose so that I could revert back to myself if I ever got caught. I’d disappear off the grid completely and start over. No one would ever find me. Well, expect for you four.” “And a spider and a cat.” Freddie added.

“But we’ll keep your secret.” Brian assured him.

“You know the industry is full of magical creatures. If you’re serious about starting a band, you would fit right in.” Bowie said. “All you have to do is cover your magic marks and have a supply of magic suppressants on you at all time.”

“How did you get caught?” Roger asked.

“I had my keys in my pocket when I was walking through when of the detectors, and that set it off. I was asked to show my magic mark, and that was the end.” He stated dismally. “Learn from my mistake, boys. Always empty your pockets.”

A simple error like that could very well cost us our lives. I imagined what would happen if one of us got caught. I was the only one who could probably use my powers to escape like Bowie had, but could I really leave my new family behind?

“Yes.” I realized Freddie was talking to me. “You go and be free, darling. Even if you’re separated from us, you’ll have a chance to live your life.”

“But it won’t even be  _my_  life. I’d be living a lie.” I said. “And what about you three? I can’t just forget all about you. Freddie, they’ll honor our vows and keep us in the lab together.”

“I don’t want that life for you, Deaky. It’s not a life. It’s hell on earth. If we get caught, you disguise yourself and run. Don’t look back.”

“But we’re not going to get caught.” Roger said. “So don’t worry about it.” I knew there was no way he could know this for sure, but it was nonetheless reassuring.

“We need to be very careful in everything we do.” Brian said.

Bowie nodded. “Freddie, you need to watch yourself the most. Most of the attention will be on you as frontman.”

I instinctively snaked my arm around Freddie. I didn’t want any harm to come his way. He had been through too much already. Of course Freddie paid no attention to my concerns.

“I love having the spotlight on me!” He exclaimed making a dramatic pose with his hands. “Don’t worry, lovies. I know how to play the game. I won’t expose us.”

“Unfortunately Foster Records is the only producing company in the civilization. Foster is a pain in the ass, but if you make it big, you can produce albums yourselves.” Bowie said. “I would also suggest hiring a lawyer. I hear Jim Beach is good.”

“What kind of name is Jim Beach?” Freddie murmured.

“His name reminds me of home. I like him.” Roger said.

“The producer who approached me in the nightclub was a representative of Foster.” Brian said. “I could give him a call.”

“We need to get instruments first.” Freddie said. “You two have your guitars, but Roger and I are left without drums and piano.”

“I don’t know how we’re going to be able to afford all of this.” Brian sighed.

“I have an idea.” Roger said. “And I think it’ll be fun.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're gonna form Queen!!! In case you're wondering I envisioned Freddie singing Itsy Bitsy Spider to revive Barney. Next chapter will be in Roger's POV and we'll see his plan to get them instruments. By the way Space Oddity is my favorite Bowie song. What do you think of his inclusion and cameo? There's a lot more to come, so stay tuned!


	12. Seaside Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger gets the instruments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I've been working on my other story, Don't Stop Meow, a sequel to the Incredible Shrinking Deaky. I woke up with a fever and sore throat this morning, so it looks like I'll be stuck inside all day. The only benefit is that I can update my stories while I rest up.

_Roger's POV_

I had seen the boardwalk from afar many times before, but this was my first time actually experiencing it firsthand. It was beautiful with the shimmering signs of all the beachside restaurants and shops lit up alongside the stars. All around us, people were laughing, dancing and just having a real good time. I knew we had an agenda, but I was so distracted by all the twinkling sites, bustling sounds, and salty smells.

"I can't believe I've never been here before!" Deaky laughed as Freddie playfully chased him up and down the pier. "On especially clear nights I could spot all these lights in the distance from the tower. I never knew what it was, but now I do, and I couldn't be happier." Freddie proclaimed. He finally caught Deaky and pulled him into a hug.

"How come you never brought them here before?" I asked Brian. "It's so much fun. I would come here all the time if I lived on lan...We should come here all the time." I lived on land now I reminded myself. Even though I'd be going back home tonight, my life was here, and I'd return to the shore.

Brian pointed the magic detectors attached to each and every light post that lit up the way at night. They were hidden in plain sight. It surprised me how well they blended into the lights. "Civilization Beach has more magic detectors than any other place in the Civilization." Brian explained.

"Oh." I choked glancing back at Freddie and John who were obliviously kissing beneath one of the detectors as if it were a mistletoe.

"They think they can catch themselves a siren, huh?" I sighed. Brian put his arm around me reassuringly. "We'll be fine." He said, planting a kiss on my head. "We just need to be careful."

Freddie pulled away from Deaky for a second and looked out to the stage overlooking the beach. "Do you hear that? They're playing music!"

I strained, but heard something a little too familiar. I groaned. "It's Lost Luggage doing a shitty Led Zeppelin cover."

"Their rhythm is way off and the vocals are all over the place." Freddie disapproved. "But I need practice not glowing while listening to live music. So we should go listen!"

"Not here." Brian said too abruptly. "Come on. Let's make our way down to the beach so we can get on with the plan."

Freddie pouted, but for once I agreed with Brian. Lost Luggage sucked, and it was too dangerous for Freddie to get that close to the music with all these magic detectors around. It would be different if Brian had the Red Special handy. Plus, I didn't want any of the members of Lost Luggage to recognize me as the instrument stealing siren.

We made our way to the shore, trying to find a secluded area on the beach where I could go into the water and reveal my true form without being seen. Freddie and Deaky naturally made it a fair distance ahead of us because I slowed Brian down with my stumbles. Walking was hard enough, but walking barefooted on a sand dune was proving very difficult. I held tightly to Brian's hand for balance.

"You're doing great, honey!" He encouraged.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need you patronizing me."

"I'm not. I really mean it. Most of us don't remember when we first learned how to walk and we take our steps for granted, but it can be hard. For such a short amount of time you've been on land, you're doing exceptionally well, and I couldn't be more proud."

"Well it'll be a relief to use my tail again and be back in the water where I belong." I muttered.

Brian stopped walking, and I nearly stumbled into him. "What's wrong?" Without saying a word, Brian leaned down and kissed me. Oh my heart! This was what true love felt like. I pulled away and laughed in bliss. "What was that for?"

"I just want you to remember why you agreed to stay here." He said. "You may want to change your mind when you go back to the water."

"I wouldn't do that you." I assured him. "Believe me if I really wanted to go back home I would've left you already, but I've made up my mind. I'm staying here with you because I love you. I'm just going to my grotto to get the instruments and bring them back up to the surface. I promise I'm coming back."

"Roger," Brian gasped, "did you just say that you lo—"

John came running, interrupting Brian's question. "Hey guys! We found a spot and no one's around. It'll be great."

"I um think it might be faster if you carry me, Bri." I wasn't surprised when he abided by my request and picked me up into his arms. I mindlessly ran a finger through one of his curls. "So what were you asking me?"

"N-Nothing." Brian stammered averting my gaze. "I just thought I misheard something you said to me."

Freddie was waiting for us by the water in a quiet shady area. He was crouched down watching a family of crabs burrowing in the sand. "I swear if you start talking to them too I'll go mad." I remarked.

"I only talk to the ones I heal. So if you keep your destructive hands to yourself and try not to murder these little guys like you did to Barney, you won't have to worry." He replied.

"Destructive hands? Fuck you! If you don't like my hands, you can find yourself another drummer." I shouted.

"Just save the smashing for the drums is all I'm saying." Freddie said sharply.

"Okay, okay!" Brian stepped in between us before things could escalate. "Roger said he was sorry for hurting Barney, and we forgive him. It won't happen again. This band isn't going to work if we're at each other's throats like this. So both of you apologize!"

"I honestly can't see this band working any other way." I said with a shrug. Freddie grinned, assuring me that he wasn't seriously mad.

"Alright. You guys keep watch and make sure no one sees me. Have the suppressant pills ready for when I come back up with the instruments." I instructed. "I'll try to be as quick as I can."

"You take your time, darling." Freddie said. "Be careful lugging such heavy things through the water. Don't hurt yourself."

"Good luck!" John called. He was standing a fair distance away from us, and I hadn't a clue why. Freddie noticed as well and tried to usher him over. "Come here, my love. Let's watch these crabs. They're quite fascinating."

"T-That's okay. I'll stay here." He stammered.

"Let him be." Brian advised, but Freddie ignored him and went to go get Deaky. "P-Please Fred...I'm fine here." John wailed.

Now I was curious and went to go see why Deaky was shaking like a leaf. Brian reluctantly followed. "Just give him space." Brian said.

"I-I'm okay." Deaky exhaled. "I-I just...I—"

"You can't swim." Freddie stated without a trace of judgement in his voice. Deaky burst into sobs. "I know I'm so pathetic." Freddie shushed him and rocked him in his arms. "It's okay. I still love you."

"You're not pathetic." I told him. "I would be scared to swim too if I knew I could drown." I shuddered when I recalled my first transformation. I actually would have drowned if Freddie hadn't gotten me out of the water in time. The fact that people with lungs willingly went swimming for fun was something I had yet to understand.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Brian said. "Lots of people can't swim."

"I-It's not only that." Deaky murmured.

"Shh. Shh. It's alright." Freddie reassured him. "You only tell them what you're comfortable with."

"I—I was offered lessons when I worked with the chemists. O-One of the perks of the civilization base camp in the magic mines was full access to the gym and pool...B-But when I w-went there...T-Tim pushed me into the pool...a-and...pressed the button to initiate the automatic pool covering and...if it wasn't for my chemist friend, Maxwell, I-I would have...He would have...Freaks like me belong in the mines not in the base."

"Shit! I'm so so sorry, Deaky." I cried, joining in on his and Freddie's hug. Brian put his arms around the bassist as well making it a group hug which we held until John stopped crying.

"We love you, Deaky." Brian whispered.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, darling." Freddie said. "You don't believe a word that Tim Staffell says to you because you know none of it is true."

"Tim Staffell?" Brian asked with a hint of disgust.

"Y-You know him, Brimi?" John asked timidly.

"We were in an all hunter band together when we were teenagers." Brian explained. "At first it was fun, but then Tim kept trying to get me involved in going to the outskirts and killing innocent magical creatures for sport. It was his favorite hobby besides music. Then, it escalated to Tim bringing home various creatures against their will. He would keep them chained up in his garage and basically enslave them. He justified it by arguing that they were subhuman no matter how much I told him that what he was doing was wrong. Eventually he caught on that I was helping his victims escape, and I was kicked out of the band. Tim changed the lock to the garage so I couldn't keep going in and busting them out."

"I-I...When you found me, I had just escaped his garage." Deaky's voice was barely audible. I hugged John even tighter. My heart was breaking for him. No wonder he didn't want to tell me how he met Brian if it meant reliving all that drama.

"Thank you for letting me know." Brian said solemnly. "I know how hard it is for you to open up, John."

"I love you, Brian. I love all three of you. Thank you for...well for everything that you've done for me. Bri, you took me in when I was so broken and helped me learn to trust people again. I simply can't thank you enough. Roger, I know you've just joined our little group, but you've been such a good friend and they are hard to come by, so thank you so much for that."

"John! You're going to make me cry." I sniffled. "I love you, you little shapeshifter!" And I meant it. These three were my family. In the past forty eight hours they had rescued me countless times from various perils and proven an undying loyalty that could only be found by such a rare and special bond. I truly found something to treasure here on land.

"And that's it. That's all I'm going to say." John said with a teasing smile winking at Freddie.

"Are you sure?" Freddie drawled.

"I don't think there's anyone else I need to thank for having such an impact over my life and making me fall madly in love with him not only for his charm but also his kindness and sensitivity." Deaky giggled, giving up the facade. "Oh, Freddie, you understand me and help me better myself. I truly can't imagine life without you! I love you so much."

"Come here, darling."

Brian nudged me, and I knew it was time we gave the happy couple some privacy. "They're so cute." I squealed. "I just can't stand it."

"Before Freddie arrived, John was a nervous wreck who would barely say a word. He was making some progress, but it was like night and day as soon as he found his soulmate." Brian remarked.

Walking back to the water reminded me why we were here. I was going to have the opportunity of a lifetime and be a part of this band that seemed like a match made in heaven. But in order to achieve that dream I had to return to my grotto to retrieve my drums and a keyboard for Freddie.

I looked out to the vast ocean and inhaled the salty sea breeze. Home was calling. I turned back to Brian. "See you  very soon!" I stood on my tiptoes, nearly falling in the process as I gave him a loving kiss farewell. Brian hesitantly let me go, and I dove into the water.

Upon impact, my lower body tingled, and my two feet morphed into one blue fin. My gills also returned allowing me to breath in the waves that crashed over my head. I purposefully wore an outfit made by Freddie instead of the new clothes we bought at Biba. As Freddie promised, the material disintegrated in the water leaving only my bare chest.

Now far out in the ocean away from the shore, I could make out a small form on the beach seeing only the shape of a curly mop of hair atop his head. Brian waved, and I waved back in response, not sure if he could see me.

"Roger!" His calling voice was fading as I swam further. I paused for a brief moment with my head barely above the water. There was no way Brian could see me anymore, but I could still see his silhouette on the shore. "Roger," Brian's voice was so far away. "I lo—"

A wave crashed over my head and I tumbled downward. Whatever Brian was trying to shout to me he'd have to say when I got back.

As much I loved my new land family, being completely submerged again was such a treated. I could finally stretch out my tail now that I wasn't in a cramped tank or bathtub. I once again was able to zoom through the water, not faltering or stumbling. Swimming was second nature to me.

At last I descended to my grotto. I pushed aside the seaweed vines and entered my sanctuary. I wasn't expecting anyone to tamper with it while I was gone, so I gasped in shock when I noticed all the changes. The grotto was lit up by the glow of underwater candles, and the posters of various rockstars were covered with pictures of me. ' _Rest in peace, Roger'_ Was written on the walls with red eel paste paint.

"What the hell?" I murmured.

I looked up in surprise when the seaweed vines moved again. Clare swam into the grotto with her head hung low. Then she saw me and the smile that lit up her face was nearly blinding. The water lilies she was holding sank to the floor as Clare splashed over to me in a daze.

"Roggie! Roggie! I thought I would never see you again!" She was crying as she embraced me. I was not expecting such a bittersweet reunion.

"Is it really you?" Clare asked in disbelief as she studied my face intently.

"It's me. I'm here." I knew it would break my heart to leave her again, but I couldn't stay. I was needed back on land. That was where my heart was telling me to go, so it must be destiny.

"I hope you don't mind what I've done with the place. I turned it into a vigil because I really thought that you were dead. Oh Mom and Dad will be so ecstatic! We have so much to catch up on. I can't wait to hear about your daring escape. Come on! We can surprise Mom and Dad at dinner. Mom is making crab cakes!"

"Clare, I can't." I sighed. "I have to leave. I'm sorry."

"I-I don't understand." She professed. "We missed you so much and our prayers were answered. You found your way back home."

I held up my hand showing Brian's full name replacing the initials. "I met my soulmate up there."

"U-Up there?" Clare's face went white. "Y-you mean on land? You m-met your soulmate on land? That can't be true, Roger! Soulmates are meant to be who you're destined to stay with forever. So is he going to join us down here or..." Her lip trembled.

"Clare, I'm sorry." I said again. "Please don't cry."

"A-At least...stay for the crab cakes."

I shook my head. "I need to get back up there as soon as possible. Besides I made a promise to a friend that I wouldn't be hurting any crabs."

"So you're just going to leave us? Aren't you at least going to say goodbye to Mom and Dad before you disappear on us again?" Clare cried.

"I can't stay here anymore, Clare. I'm sorry. You always say you want me to be happy, and I won't be happy if I stay. I belong up there. I found the love of my life and my purpose in life too. I'm meant to be a rockstar not a fucking dentist. I promise I'll come back and visit, but this is what I need to do."

She pulled me into a tight hug again. "I can't deny you, your happiness, Roggie. I'm sure he's amazing. Anyone who deserves you ought to be the greatest."

"He is. He really is." I vouched. "You would love him and my new friends too. I wish you could meet them."

"Well why can't I?" Clare pouted. "That hardly seems fair. If you're abandoning me, I might as well get to see who's going to be taking care of you."

"I'm not abandoning you. I told you I'll come back and visit." I assured her.

Heavy objects were easier to lift in the water, but as I picked up my drum set, I realized that I would have to make two trips if I wanted to bring it along with the keyboard back up to the surface. Freddie would kill me if I only brought back the drums.

"You're leaving now?" Clare cried. "What about Mom and Dad? You're not even going to tell them that you're still alive? They think you're dead, Roger!"

I could only imagine my parents' reaction to my decision. It wouldn't go over well. They might just lock me in my old bedroom and put coral bars on my window to prevent me from leaving. "You can tell them that I'm still alive. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear that news." I said flippantly as I attempted to balance both the keyboard and the drum set unsuccessfully.

"They'll want to see you. You have to say goodbye to them. Please! If not for them, then for me. Do it for me. Please, Roggie." Clare begged.

Fuck! How could I say no to her? "Let me just get the drums up to the surface. Then when I come back for the keyboard, I'll say goodbye to them." It was a good compromise. Right? Then I could at least warn the boys that if I didn't come back it was because my parents were keeping me away. I didn't want Brian to believe that I changed my mind as he put it.

"Okay." Clare agreed tentatively. "Just be careful."

"Of course." I gave her another hug before I set out on my first of two returns up to the surface. As I lugged the drums upward, I glanced down and saw Clare swimming out of the grotto in the direction of home. I assumed she was going to tell my parents that I was here.

I bobbed my head up above the water before pushing the drums out onto the sand. The look of relief on Brian's face made my night. I couldn't help but laugh as he rolled up his trousers and attempted to wade after me. Freddie and John dragged the drum set further away from the water and Freddie sang, using his magic to instantly dry it off.

"I'm going back for the keyboard." I announced.

"Roger, wait!" Brian shouted. Eagerly, I swam closer to him. "What is it, baby?" I laughed and pulled him down into the water with me, not caring that I was getting him absolutely soaked.

"Careful." I warned as Brian pulled me back up so our lips could meet. I kissed him until I ran out of breath, then I sunk back into the water so my gills were submerged. "Can't breathe, remember?"

"Sorry." Brian said, leaning back down so now he was in the water again. "I just want you to know that I lo—"

"—ROGER!"

"Fuck!" I groaned as Clare emerged in the water alongside my parents who looked absolutely pissed. "Let me sort this out, Bri. You can tell me later."

I flopped back into the water and swam out to where they were waiting for me. "Clare, I told you I was coming back!" I scolded. "You didn't have to come after me."

"Roger, what is the meaning of this?" Dad shouted. "You get back down into the water where it's safe this instant!"

"I  _am_ safe!" I protested. "Brian, Freddie and John will keep me safe."

"Your kidnappers will keep you safe?" He asked skeptically. "Thank goodness Clare reached you in time and came to us for help."

"I wasn't bloody kidnapped. Well, I was, but then Freddie and John came to my rescue, and Brian made sure that we—"

"—Roggie, you're lucky to be alive." Mom cried. "We thought we lost you. Do you have any idea how scared we were? Don't test your luck again with these shenanigans. Come home, son. You don't belong with them."

"I think fate begs to differ." I argued frantically waving my hand to show off my soul mark. "Brian is my soulmate. I have to be with him. It's my destiny. And I have a feeling that I'm also connected to Freddie and Deaky in a way. They're like my soul brothers."

My parents looked at the name on my hand in disbelief. "I've never seen this before." Mom murmured. "How could your soulmate be a land barbarian? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"This isn't a mistake!" I cried. "I know it's unconventional, but if it wasn't meant to be, then we wouldn't have our names written next to our marks. I wouldn't have fallen in love within a day of knowing him like in the fairytales and all the stories of soulmates finding each other."

"We can fix this." Dad exhaled. "Just come back home. We'll cover it up with eel paste, and pretend this whole thing never happened. No one will ever find out."

"WHAT?" I shrieked. "No! No! You can't just paint over my mark and pretend that I don't have a soulmate. That's not how it works. What are you going to do? Keep me locked in my old bedroom like I'm a little kid! That won't work. I know this is hard for you to accept, but you can't dictate my life decisions anymore. I'm 22 years old, and I think that's old enough to know what's best for me."

"Be reasonable." Mom said. "We just don't want you throwing your life away for a—"

"—LOOK OUT!" Clare shouted. She, Mom, and Dad all dove back into the water out of instinct, but I wasn't quick enough to respond. Once again, a net came down around me, and I found myself ensnared. "Fuck!" I shouted.

Struggling against the ropes only made them constrict further against me. It was a hopeless fight. I accepted my fate as I was flung up out of the water and onto a boat. As if things couldn't get any worse, I got a look at my captor up close. It was the same creepy mustached man from the auction house that knew Freddie. Paul Prenter I believe his name was. If his face alone wasn't terrifying enough, it was covered in blood and a crew of fishermen were all lying dead on the deck.

"What a coincidence!" Prenter proclaimed. "You were just the siren I was hoping to catch. Now you'd better sing for me, you miserable little fish. Or else all this carnage," He referenced to the dead bodies, "will get a whole lot worse."

"I-I can't s-sing...if I c-can't breathe!" I sputtered.

"Oh don't worry about that. I've already set up a tank for you in my tower in the outskirts. You'll be safe in there."

Tower in the outskirts? That sounded like the place where the demon kept Freddie locked away for a decade. Oh my God! Prenter was Freddie's demon captor. Why hadn't I made the connection earlier? The oxygen was leaving my brain, but I could still think clearly enough to know that I was in big trouble.

Out of habit, I opened my mouth, hoping to siren my way out of this. However, another distinct sound from far off in the distance beat me to it.

"AYYYY-OHH!" Even though it was coming from the shore, the powerful voice still carried at its full volume rippling across the waves creating an echo of magic.

"No!" Prenter gasped. "It can't be!"

Suddenly, the boat lurched backwards. We were being dragged toward the shore almost as if we had been caught in a strong current. There was no doubt  who was causing this. Sure enough, as soon as the boat hit the shore, Freddie climbed up onto the deck boldly facing Prenter.

Maybe he was tired from using his magic, but something appeared off about Freddie. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Perhaps it was his stance. Normally the muse stood proudly with his shoulders back in perfect posture. Now he was hunched not displaying such confidence in his grounding. 

All I knew was that I needed water and I needed it fast. My world was spinning. Freddie was blurring in and out of view. I fought against the constraining ropes, but only managed to get more tangled.

Prenter turned his back to me so he could get a good look at Freddie. The moment his attention was stolen away from me, another figure emerged onto the boat.

"Brian!" My voice came out in a hoarse rasp I doubt he could even hear.

My senses continued to go in and out as Brian approached the net. I wasn't sure how he managed to cut me loose, but suddenly I tumbled back down into the water.

Once I could breathe again, things became more clear and my senses returned. Brian and Freddie were still up on the boat with Prenter.

However, I also spotted Freddie glowing on the beach. Shutting his eyes in deep concentration, he hummed a haunting melody to keep the boat from drifting away. How could that be? If Freddie was over there, then who was on the boat with Brian?

Whoever it was, Prenter approached him, backing him against the railing. "I knew you'd come running back eventually. Sure took you long enough to come to your senses, Farrokh."

This version of Freddie cowered, and put his hands above his face as if to block a punch. Prenter immediately took notice of one of the imposter's arms. "Where are your markings?" He leaned in to the trembling figure inhaling his scent. "You're Farrokh's soulmate? You shapeshifting son of a bitch thought you could steal my muse from me and then pose as him! How dare you!"

"Did you really think we'd put the real Freddie at risk in order to distract you?" Brian spoke up.

"Distract me? What are you—Where is my siren?" Prenter ran back to the side of the boat where Brian had released the net.

With Prenter busy trying to figure out where I had disappeared to, Brian made his escape jumping down from the railing to join me. Deaky slowly made his way down the edge of the boat closest to the shoreline. The water was shallow enough so that he wouldn't drown.

"Roger!" Brian splashed over to where I was floating. "Are you okay?" 

"I think so." I said. 

We swam back to the shore where the two Freddies were waiting. The real one was still focused on keeping the boat in place. He stopped singing for a moment to open his eyes and acknowledge that the three of us were safe. Then he took a deep breath and with all the power he had left, he belted. "AAYYY OHHHH!" 

The boat was suddenly catapulted backwards as if a mighty tidal wave were pulling it away and out of sight. I knew it wouldn't stop Prenter from possibly coming after us again, but at least now the demon was stranded out at sea miles and miles away from us. I let out a sigh of relief when I could no longer see the boat in the distance. 

Freddie smiled weakly before collapsing in the sand. "I'm okay." He slurred as his eyes shut. "Just let me lie here for a bit."  

John merged back into his own body and sat down in the sand beside Freddie, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You were brilliant." He whispered. 

"We all were brilliant, darlings." Freddie sighed. "Now let me rest for a moment." 

"Once again, you guys saved me." I said. "I owe you!" 

"It was no trouble at all, honey." Brian reassured me. Freddie blinked opened his eyes. "N-No trouble? Damn it, do you have any idea the amount of energy it takes to move a boat like that! You do owe us, Roggie. You need to stop getting yourself into so much trouble!" 

"I know." I acknowledged. "I'll try not to fuck up again. I'm sorry." Then I remembered the whole reason we came here. Talk about fucking up! "Shit! I didn't even get your keyboard. No one move. I'll dive back down and--"

Brian pulled me back to shore. "I think we've had enough sheer heart attacks for one night. You're staying right here so we can keep an eye on you." 

"But what about the keyboard?" I protested. 

"Darling, it's alright." Freddie wheezed. "You three have your instruments, and I have my voice. The piano is nothing more than accompaniment. I don't actually need it to perform."

"Shh." Deaky hushed him. "Just rest, Freddie."  "I'm okay." He insisted, and tried to sit up only to fall flat on his back again. 

"Let's just stay here for a while. We've got nowhere to go but home. So we have all the time in the world to let you rest up." Brian said. 

Deaky got up from his spot next to Freddie and carefully waded into the water, taking slow deep breaths. "What are you doing?" I cried. John answered me by opening his palm and exposing a magic suppressant pill. 

"It wouldn't be a proper seaside rendezvous if we're all lounging in the sand, and you're stuck in the water all by yourself." Deaky said. "Here." 

"Thanks, Deaks." I put the pill onto my tongue and waited patiently for the effects to kick in. Within seconds, my blue tail split into two legs, and I no longer needed water up to my neck to breath. Brian took one of my hands and John took the other, and they helped me find my balance so I could stumble up onto the shore. From there, Brian offered me a towel to wrap around my lower body so I wasn't completely naked. 

John lied back down with Freddie who was still semi-conscious. "Seaside cuddles?" The muse murmured. Deaky smiled, and pulled Freddie into his arms. 

I plopped down next to the snuggling couple, eyeing Brian, hoping he would get the message. I sighed when he remained standing looking out to sea. "You know, Deaky, you were very brave to face the demon like that." I complimented my friend. 

"The bravest." Freddie cooed. "I couldn't have done it any better myself." 

"Don't be ridiculous. I was nothing more than the distraction to help you and Brian get away. Freddie, you were the one who did all the heavy lifting literally." John dismissed.

"Darling, did Paul say anything to you as me? Did he want me to come back? Or did he find a new toy to replace me?" Freddie opened one eye just a slit so he could look at his soulmate.

"I panicked. Don't remember a thing honestly. It's all blank." Deaky laughed. 

"Prenter is bad news, Freddie. It shouldn't matter what he said to Deaky. No good can come from associating with him." I chastised. 

"I was just curious. Sometimes I wonder how he copes without me." 

"Hey guys!" Brian called. "Come have a look at this!" 

Freddie remained on the ground, but John and I got up to see what Brian was staring at. I squinted, making out something bobbing in the water. It was a floating keyboard, and not just any keyboard, the one from my grotto that I was gonna go back for. Freddie sat up and crawled over to where we were standing so he could see what was going on. 

I gasped when Clare poked her head above the water, revealing herself as the one pushing the keyboard up to the surface. Her blue eyes widened in shock when she saw my legs. Brian went to retrieve the keyboard as Clare hesitantly lingered just beyond the shore. "Y-You're a hunter?" Her voice was so soft I was surprised Brian could make it out. "I'm not like that. I won't hurt you." He said. "Thank you for bringing this to us." 

I scrambled to the edge of the sand, fearing that if I touched the water, I would revert back to my true form, and waste the pill. "Clare, it's okay." I assured her. "Brian's a big softie. He rescues fluffy land animals." 

She reluctantly swam a bit closer to us, but still just out of Brian's reach. "You must be really special to be soulmates with my big brother. Take good care of him."

"I will." Brian vowed. 

"I-I um I saw how all of you were so quick to help him escape that net." Clare said with a soft smile. "You've found yourself a good group here, Roggie. You were right about them."

"I'm always right, aren't I?" I teased. 

She laughed. "I'm sorry about Mom and Dad. They're really upset right now, but I think one day they'll see that this is what makes you happy."

"I'm glad you understand." I said. 

"I'll miss you." She whispered. "But I know I can't change your mind. It would be wrong of me to get in the way of your happiness."

"Thank you, Clare. You know I love you. I'll visit as often as I can." 

"I love you, too. Goodbye, Roggie. Make sure your new land friends keep you out of trouble." 

"We'll try our best." Brian joked. 

I tried my best not to cry as I watch Clare slip back into the water, and swim away, disappearing into the night. It wasn't a final goodbye. I'd be back to visit soon. I would just have to wait until things cool down with Mom and Dad before I return. 

"Roger?" I turned to Brian who was staring at me intently with a loving gaze. He was the one who made my decision to stay here worthwhile. "Brian, I love you." I decided to tell him outright. I knew he felt the same way. Why keep my feelings a secret any longer? 

Brian grinned from ear to ear. "That's what I've been trying to tell you all night, but I kept getting interrupted. I love you too." 

He leaned down, most likely to kiss me, but with a smirk, I ducked and tumbled out of his embrace. "Roggie, you silly boy! What are you doing?" 

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I giggled as I ran my fingers through the sand. "I'm writing you a letter in the sand." 

Brian rolled his eyes, but went along with my antics. "What does this letter say?" 

"Come see for yourself." I pulled him down into the sand pausing to allow him to read my message before kissing him. Brian only laughed and kissed me back, paying no attention to the tide rolling in and washing away the words 'I love you more than cars' marked in the sand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not feeling so good, so I think I'll end the chapter here. It seems like a nice stopping place. Thanks for reading guys! I'm gonna go eat some soup and then maybe I'll feel a little better.


	13. A Queen is Born

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen has their very first gig!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you everyone who is still reading this story! It's my most successful project yet with over 3100 hits and I am beyond grateful for all of your support!

_Freddie's POV_

"What do you think?" Like a runway model, I spun around to show off my black and white checkered skintight leotard. It was our first gig, and I planned on making an impression.

' _I think it's missing something.'_ Delilah critiqued.

"Missing something?" I looked in the mirror again. The outfit was perfect in my opinion; it snuggly fit my body to show off my figure.

' _I liked the fur coat you had on the other day. Maybe add some fur or something.'_  The cat suggested.

"You just want me to look like a cat don't you?" I laughed.

' _In one of my other nine lives, a witch turned you into a cat. Wanna hear that story? It's pretty funny actually.'_

Normally I loved hearing her wild tales about all the adventures we had in alternate universes, but right now I was too distracted. My appearance needed to be spot on tonight. "Maybe later." I sighed as I stared at my figure. Delilah was right. There was something missing. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe a full bodysuit wasn't the best idea. Sure, my body looked great, but the "leaving certain things to the imagination" rule didn't seem to be working in this situation. I refused to go back to the drawing board, so instead I made a simple alter to the leotard. I used my magic to make the fabric loop down so that my chest was now exposed.

"Brilliant!" I exclaimed. "This is it! This is the one that will wow the audience!"

Delilah eyed my chest hair. ' _That's not what I meant by fur, but I think it's an improvement. I like it a lot better now.'_

"Me too!" I exclaimed. "I can't wait for the boys to put on theirs."

' _Wait what?'_

I sang a quick tune to manifest identical leotards that would fit my bandmates only they were different colors than mine. Brian's was red, Roger's was golden, and Deaky's was green.

' _Yeah they're gonna hate that.'_ Delilah warned. 

"I'm willing to bet you a week's worth of tuna steaks that they'll love 'em!" I challenged. There was no way I could afford to feed Delilah tuna steak every night of the week, but I was confident in my wager. The cat licked her lips.  _'You do still owe me a trip to the fishers' market.'_

"Freddie, are you coming?" Brian knocked on the door. "The gig is in an hour. We really can't be late."

I opened the door preparing myself for the surprised looks of delights on my bandmates' faces as I held up their leotards. "What do you think?"

"Cute." Deaky approved.

"You might look good in the red one too." Roger pointed.

"If we're lucky enough to have more gigs, you can alternate all of these colors. A different leotard for each set." Brian said.

"Oh no, darlings, these aren't for me." I clarified. "I'm all ready to go!" I twirled around in my classic black and white leotard. Then I tossed them their more colorful ones. "Put these on and then we can go rock!"

Making the connection that these were their costumes, they all looked at me horrified. "You're joking!" Brian scoffed staring down at his leotard. Deaky just shook his head. Roger said nothing and only threw his leotard out the window to make a statement.

I didn't bother trying to read their minds to discover why their reactions were so negative because I knew they were wrong. Instead I tried to persuade them. "Oh, come on." I pouted. "We'll all look so good!"

"We just bought me all these new clothes from Biba!" Roger protested. "This is what I'm wearing! You said I looked sexy in it. I'm not changing into some fucking leotard."

"Wait. When did Freddie call you sexy?" Brian blurted with a tinge of jealousy.

"Bri, focus! That's not the takeaway. The takeaway is that we'll look fucking ridiculous in these leotards."

"I think we'll look ridiculously amazing!" I exclaimed.

"We're not wearing these things, Fred." John said bluntly.

"Et tu, Deaky?" I sighed. "I thought you loved me!"

"I do love you even when you're being a drama queen like this, but that doesn't mean I'll agree to everything you say."

"But you should agree because I'm right in this case. The green picks up your beautiful eyes, darling. Brimi, your red one matches the red special, and Roggie, look at this sparkling gold, and imagine it alongside your golden hair. It'll pop."

"If you make me wear this, I'm quitting." Roger said.

"We don't have time for this." Brian said. "Freddie, you look good because you have such a flamboyant style. The rest of us are more understated and wouldn't be able to pull off that kind of look. Does that make sense?"

I suppose not everyone had the confidence to wear something this gaudy. It was a shame, but I didn't want to make my boys uncomfortable. It was our first gig, so nerves would be high enough already. "Well if you change your mind, I can always sing you up some new leotards."

"Trust me. We won't be changing our minds." Roger said sharply. "Let's go."

' _You owe me tuna steaks!'_ Delilah mewled as I followed them out the door. Deaky gave me an awkward smile as we got into the backseat of the Jeep. I was slightly offended that he pegged me as a drama queen, but in some ways he wasn't wrong. Either way, it was a relief to know that he still loved me regardless.

"So Foster's representative is going to be in the audience tonight." Brian explained. "If he likes what he sees, he'll schedule a meeting for us that could possibly lead to a record deal."

"This is really happening!" Roger squealed. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe it, darling! We're going to be rockstars!" I shouted. My celebratory cheers were joined with a soft meowing coming from the trunk. I turned around and gasped. Delilah had somehow managed to climb her way into the trunk without us knowing. "What are you doing here, Delilah?"

' _Did you really expect to have your first gig without me in the audience to support you?'_

"Oh no, no, no, darling, you can't come with us!" I told her. 

"Technically there's no sign outside of the nightclub or any rules that I know of banning animals." Brian said. "So it might not be a problem if she tags along."

' _See, this is why I love him.'_ Delilah mewled. She looked back up at me with wide begging eyes that I couldn't resist. 

"Alright fine. You can come with us if you promise to be on your very best behavior." I agreed.

' _Trust me. You won't regret this."_  She purred happily. _'Also after the gig, we are going to the fishers' market.'_

Unable to understand her, Deaky laughed and gave her a pet. "Good girl, Delilah. You'll be our good luck charm."

"You were supposed to be my good luck charm, Deaks. I can't have two." I complained.

"No. You're both wrong. Brian said  _I'm_  the good luck charm!" Roger shouted.

"We can all have more than one good luck charm." Brian said. "But luck can only get us so far. We've been practicing really hard these past few days, and I think it's that hard work and our talent that will push us to success."

"If we can conquer the nerves." Deaky said reaching for my hand to give it a squeeze. ' _I was so excited for this! But now that it's actually happening, I think I might throw up.'_ He told me mentally. "I don't know if I can do this, guys."

"Deep breaths, darling." I squeezed his hand back reassuringly. "You'll be okay, love. All you have to do is look at me when we're performing. Pretend I'm the only one in the room and you're playing for just me. And if that doesn't work just picture everyone naked. That's always a fun little trick that's guaranteed to work. Undress the audience with your imagination!"

"I-I think I'll just stick with looking at you." John murmured, his face turning pink as a pomegranate.

"You're not going up on stage alone, Deaky." Brian said. "We'll all be there with you."

"You'll make us proud!" Roger said. "You'll see. We're going to put on a great show!"

"We'll rock those motherfuckers like they've never been rocked before!" I declared.

"I-If you say so, Freddie." John said timidly with a small but scared smile.

***

Phase 1 of the world's greatest first gig was complete! We made it past the magic detectors undetected, and when the bouncer found out we were the band, he even politely looked past Delilah and allowed the cat to enter the nightclub with us.

As we set up our instruments, Brian scouted the room for Foster's representative so he could introduce us. "Fuck!" Brian rarely cursed, so I knew when he muttered the word out, something seriously wrong had occurred.

I followed Brian's gaze and saw a man in a sharp suit talking with three boys around our age who resembled rockers like us. The one with the guitar around his body had a hunter mark on his shoulder.

"T-This w-was...a bad idea." Deaky was suddenly in tears and fled to the bathroom, faster than I had seen him move in my life. I couldn't help but recall the night we first met and how he had hid from me, believing I was a threat. It was his fight or flight mode kicking in from all those years in the outskirts and barely clinging to life in Tim's garage.

Before I could go after John, another man approached us. "Brian!" He called out to the guitarist. "Thank goodness you're here! People have been requesting you right and left, and that representative over there is very eager to see you tonight. This might just be your lucky break, kid!"

"Thank you." Brian said, still eyeing the representative with the group warily. "Um, Freddie, Roger, this is the manager of the club."

"Oh yes. I heard you were getting a band together." The manager said. "I'm so excited. The bands I've been gigging these past few years have been so lackluster and don't sell like you do. Just take a look at that all hunter band Humpy Bong. They went on a little while ago, and were alright, but nothing to write home about. Their frontman is trying to sweet talk a deal with the representative who's here for you. I doubt it will work. All hunter bands don't really do well in the industry either. No offense, Brian, but your kind typically aren't musicians."

"Humpy Bong?" Roger snickered. "And I thought Lost Luggage was a bad band name!"

"I only booked Lost Luggage to gig once. They got booed off the stage. Never again. My customers pay the cover charge so they can hear some good music. I don't doubt that you'll be exactly what I'm looking for since you're associated with Brian." The manager raved, but I was distracted and no longer listening to what he had to say.

I was too busy watching who I now knew was Tim talk to the agent. He was the one who hurt my Deaky. No, he did more than just hurt John, he tortured and scarred him both emotionally and physically. Just looking at the stranger and associating his face with what poor Deaky had to go through made me see red. I wanted Tim to pay for what he did.

"You're on in 30 minutes. Let me know if you need anything." The manager said and left to go talk to the bouncer about something.

"Shit! We're on in half an hour." Roger cried as he tuned his drums. "Someone should go check on Deaky and make sure he's alright."

"You two stay here." I said, a revenge plot already in mind.

"Freddie don't—" Brian warned, but I was already walking away and approaching Humpy Bong. I took a seat on one of the bar stools so I was within earshot of their conversation with the representative.

"I think an all hunter band is something the world needs right now." Tim said. "We can use our music to make a big statement. You know about magic freaks staying in their rightful place where they belong. We can squash all these equal rights rallies and agendas and shit."

"I don't think you understand." The agent said, blowing a puff of smoke in his direction. "I'm not scheduling you a meeting with Ray Foster because you just aren't good enough. It has nothing to do with your status. The status thing does come into play, but I only have those kind of conversations with hunters who have real talent like Brian May. The boy is going places. He found a band of humans to play with him so he does have chance to make it big. That's why I'm here. You should really stick around and see how it's done They'll be going on soon."

"Oh please." Tim scoffed. "Brian was in our band originally and we had to kick him out cause he sucked."

"Plus he was super annoying, not ever wanting to go hunting." A bandmate chimed in. "What kind of hunter is he?"

"Save the badgers!" The third bandmate mocked with a laugh. "Magical creatures are just like us and should be treated like people." All three of them burst into laughter that made me sick.

"I'm sorry boys. Now is just not your time." The representative said and swiftly walked away from them without saying another word.

Delilah hopped up onto the empty barstool next to me. I pet her gently. ' _What are you thinking, Freddie?'_ She wondered as if the rage wasn't evident in my eyes. "I think it's about time they got what they deserved, and I'm going to need your help, darling."

' _Oh, don't worry. I'm prepared. I brought backup for this.'_  She shook her fur, and Barney the spider jumped down from her fluffy coat.

I grinned evilly. "Do you think our dear Tim is an arachnophobe?"

' _There's only one way to find out.'_ Barney said.

With a plan put in place, I briskly walked over to where Tim was standing, pretending to be minding my own business and sipping my beer. Then Barney swooped down from his web, landing on the hunter's face. Showtime!

"Oh my God! There's a spider on your face!" I screamed. As hard as I could I slapped Tim across the face (making sure that Barney jumped away to safety first), leaving a nasty red welt across his cheek. He had left worse scars on John's beautiful skin, so I didn't feel bad at all.

"What the fuck man?" Tim shouted.

"Dude, there really was a spider on your face." His bandmate spoke up. "Yeah." The other one vouched. "It could've bitten you. You should thank this guy. He totally saved your life."

"You busted up my face!" Tim yelled. "That is not cool!"

"I'm terribly sorry, darling. I was just trying to help. Why don't I buy you a beer?" I offered.

He inhaled my scent. "Stop flirting with me, you slut! I can smell your soulmate on you. You're married."

"What my husband doesn't know won't kill him." I said with a shrug. "I think you're rather handsome." I tried my best not to recoil as I said those words. It was all part of the plan. "Besides, it's the least I can do for laying a hand on your pretty face like that."

"Oh alright." Tim caved. "But only because you're not so bad looking yourself."

"Why thank you, darling. I appreciate that." I said as I picked up my beer and led him back to the empty barstools. I eyed my surroundings carefully. We were pretty isolated and there wasn't a camera or magic detector insight. If the bartender stayed on the other side of the drinks, we'd be blocked from his view. I was counting on that as I got Tim a beer. I subtly switched the glass with my own while Tim stared curiously at Delilah sitting on the other barstool. The cute kitty provided the perfect distraction.

"So," He shrugged and turned back to me. "I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name?"

"Freddie Mercury."

"Mercury? Like the planet?"

"No. Like the poison." I deadpanned. Tim laughed, not realizing that I was being serious. "What's your name, dear?" I countered.

"Oh you must really be new to this club if you don't know who I am. I'm Tim, lead singer and bassist for Humpy Bong. We're kind of a big deal."

"A singer!" I gasped. "Oh how lovely. I'm sure you sing like a muse."

He grimaced. "I fucking hate that expression! Why would being compared to one of the magic freaks ever be a good thing? If I ever met a muse, I might just slit its throat and watch it suffer before I'd allow it to start squabbling."

Wasn't he delightful? I tried my best to stick with the plan and stay calm. This was for Deaky, I reminded myself. "Have you ever heard a muse sing before?" I asked.

"Like I said, if I ever came across a muse, I'd silence it before it could open its fucking mouth." Tim laughed. "Magical creatures are so damn annoying. The best ones are quiet and obedient and even then they're too dumb to serve us properly with their magic."

"You should be careful around muses in particular. Their voices are beautiful and very powerful, but they could cause a lot of suffering and destruction." I warned.

"Muses are super rare, so I don't think I'll be running into one anytime soon." Tim dismissed and took a sip of his beer. Within seconds he spit it out and gagged. I guffawed at his repulsed face. I cringed with the knowledge that Tim had fed dog food to Deaky, but it made this moment all the more perfect. "What the hell?" Tim cried. He put the mug to his nose and immediately pulled away in disgust at the repugnant odor of cat urine courtesy of Delilah.

"I think that cat peed in my beer!" He accused.

Delilah licked her paws glancing up at Tim with innocent eyes as I stifled even more laughter. She jumped down from the barstool and ran off when Tim made a grab at her.

Noticing my snickers, Tim scowled at me. "You think this is funny, Mercury?"

"I think it's hilarious." I admitted. "I also think it should teach you a lesson. Imagine how your prisoners felt when they had nothing to eat but dog food. No doubt just as disgusted as you are right now, if not more so."

"How the hell do you know about that? Who are you?" Tim demanded.

"I told you, darling. I'm Freddie Mercury, and I'm not a muse you want to fuck with."

His eyes widened. "You're a—" The note I hit was soft on purpose so it wouldn't draw any attention. I was utilizing a dark magic I had never tapped into before, but I knew I was capable of lacing this deadly force into my sinister melody.

"W-What did you do?" Tim cried.

"Nothing you don't deserve." I replied watching him fall to the ground and writhed around like a spasm. I stood over him with my arms folded. "You see, Tim, I don't appreciate the things you do to people like me, but this isn't about me. This is about the most important person in the world to me and what you did to him. Does the name John Deacon ring any bells for you?"

"I-I...d-don't n-name my pets." Tim sputtered. "I-I called t-that one f-freak."

I showed no mercy in my response. "Don't waste your breath, darling. You have roughly 39 seconds before your oxygen supply runs low and about two minutes until your vital organs shut down. You'll be dead within three minutes."

"F-Fuck!" He grunted.

"You wanna know how I got the name Mercury?" I drawled. "This same experiment was done to me multiple times when I was a child. My bloodstream was infiltrated with liquid mercury just like yours is now. The only way to reverse the poison was to sing. Which as you can probably imagine is pretty hard to do when you're literally dying."

"W-Why?" Tim choked.

"I ask myself that every day. I think the answer is because of people like you, Tim. You look at me and see an object instead of a person, one you can profit off of and abuse. I want nothing more than to live a peaceful life and be left alone, but you won't allow that to happen, will you? So why don't you think about this experience and all this suffering the next time you deal with your prisoners in the garage. Unlike what you may believe, we do feel the pain you inflict upon us, and we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."

I purposefully sang slowly to draw out Tim's agony before reversing the mercury and clearing his blood. "Now if you come anywhere near John ever again I won't be so forgiving." I threatened. "And if you know what's good for you, you'd free the prisoners in your garage before I report you."

Tim scrambled up off the ground. He stared up at me with the same fearful look any magical creature would give a hunter. Then without saying a word, he bolted out the door. His bandmates followed.

A dizzy spell hit me as I rushed into the bathroom to find Deaky. I was weak from using my magic, but I needed to ensure that he was okay. I battled to stay awake, but the lethargy won. "Deaky!" I tried to call out for him, but my voice was hoarse. The last thing I heard was the sound of someone sobbing from within a stall before I blacked out and fell onto the bathroom floor.

_John's POV_

Tim was here! I couldn't stop bawling and violently shaking. He was going to take me back with him, and I'd be chained in his garage. This time he wouldn't let me go. He'd purposefully always have me chained up and keep the door locked at all times so I couldn't escaped. What was I going to do? If I left this stall, Tim would spot me. The boys would just have to go on without me. I'd just hide here for the rest of the night and pray that by the time I left, Tim would be gone. I paced up and down the cramped stall, trying and failing to calm myself down. I paused to look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy, a fresh array of snot was smeared all across my face. The thought of performing had far fled from my mind, but even if I wanted to play, I couldn't imagine going on looking like this.

I rolled up my trouser and pulled down my sock to expose my magic marks. Farrokh's name was still there, but so was my shapeshifter symbol. I had two options: Go on looking like somebody else or desecrate the mark again. I'd be able to glitch and Tim would never find me if I was invisible. That was how I got away from him the first time. My vision blurred with tears as I pondered my decision. I put my finger against the mark, shuddering at the sensitivity. There was no way I could through the pain of tampering with my magic again. As tempting as it was to just dig my fingernails into the skin to make all my problems go away, I resisted.

"Deaky!" I looked up when I heard a shaky voice call out my name. When that was followed by a thump, I hesitantly unlocked the stall and peered outside.

"Oh my God!" I shrieked. Freddie was lying on the floor passed out! I ran to him and took him into my arms, sobbing even harder than before. "Freddie!" He didn't wake up, so I shook him, not sure what else to do. "Freddie, please!" I wailed.

With a disgruntled yawn, Freddie blinked open his eyes. "I-Is it time for our gig?"

"Forget the gig!" I shouted, "What happened to you? Are you okay?"

"Too weak...Wake me up for the gig...We'll rock it!" He slurred, shutting his eyes again.

"Freddie, you don't have the energy to go on stage. We have to cancel." I shouted. "We'll reschedule it for another day...when Tim isn't here."

"I-I took care of him for you, darling." Freddie sighed. "Y-You'll never see him again."

"Oh God! What did you do to him?" I was flattered that Freddie would defend me like this, but it was such a dumb thing for him to do. He could've exposed himself as a muse or worse he could've gotten seriously hurt.

"I taught that bastard the lesson he deserve. He'll never hurt you again, Deaky, not on my watch." Freddie took in a deep breath and shakily rose to his feet.

With a trembling hand, he reached into my pocket and took out the bottle of magic suppressants. I took one last whiff of our combined muse and shapeshifter scent before Freddie swallowed one the pills so he smelled like two merged humans instead.

"You look like shit." Freddie said. "Come here, my love, let's get you cleaned up so you can shine again." He guided my over to the sink where he used warm water and tissues to wash my face. "That's better. Now there's the beautiful Deaky I know and love! What would you ever do without me?"

"Freddie, what did you do to Tim?" I asked again.

"I did what had to be done. Just gave him a bit of a scare. Now he knows to stay away from us. I promise, Deaky, you've seen the last of him. You can live in peace now." Freddie gave me a hug, but shifted some of his weight onto me as he still had trouble standing.

I was too overwhelmed to take everything into account. All I knew was that Freddie wasn't very stable at the moment. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"As long as you're safe and with me, I'm always okay." He said.

"Yeah, but—"

The door opened and I jumped out of Freddie's embrace, half expecting Tim to burst in. But it was only Brian. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I know what I did was dumb, but it worked. Tim is gone and he's not coming back." Freddie responded to something Brian said nonverbally. "If I told you half of the things he and his bandmates were saying about you, you'd agree that I did the right thing."

"No more risks, okay?" Brian said firmly. "We're on in five. Are you sure you're still up for it?"

"The show must go on!" Freddie said confidently.

I took his hand. ' _It's not too late to back out.'_ I thought. Freddie only shook his head. "We'll be fine, Deaky. Trust me. You know I would kill for you, love. So if you were in any real danger up on stage, I wouldn't allow it. I promise we'll have a good time. Worst case scenario, we mess up, but that's not the end of the world. And we won't mess up, so why even worry about it?"

"I wish I had your confidence." I sighed.

Roger waved his hands wildly as we approached our table which had two newcomers. Mary and her boyfriend, David. "Freddie, Deaky, look Mary's here!"

"Freddie!" Mary ran over to him first to give him a big hug while I stiffened awkwardly by their side.

"You made it!" Freddie laughed. "I'm so glad you're here, darling!"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss my best friend's first gig for the world!" Mary exclaimed. Much to my surprise she acknowledged me with a hug next. "Hello again, John. It's great to see you!"

"Um...Likewise." I stated.

David meanwhile just remained seated and waved at us from the table. Mary went back to sit by him. She giggled when Delilah jumped up onto her lap and purred. "Typical Freddie bringing his cat with him."

"My third good luck charm." Freddie remarked, taking a seat on Mary's other side. He patted his lap, gesturing for me to come sit with him. Deja vu. I sucked it up and sat down on Freddie's lap, taking a bit of pleasure when he enveloped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"You two are so adorable." Mary said. "I'm so glad you fond somebody to love after everything you've been through, Freddie." There wasn't a tint of ill will or regret in her tone. Maybe she was genuinely happy for us. Still, I felt somewhat uneasy.

A bell rang overhead indicating a new act would be taking the stage. Soon, every table was taken and a group of people swarmed in front of the stage. "We're on." Freddie announced.

"Good luck!" Mary called.

I gulped and followed Freddie up onto the stage. I focused on holding my bass. I'd just play the same way I always did and I'd be fine. I purposefully didn't look out into the audience. "Remember, if you get scared, just look at me, love." Freddie whispered. He gave me a kiss on the cheek before he went up to the microphone.

The crowd cheered loudly when Brian spoke into his mic. "Hello everyone. I'm Brian May and today I'm joined by some newcomers. There's John Deacon on bass..." My eyes fell to the floor and I subtly shifted to hide behind Freddie when Brian introduced me. "Freddie Mercury, our new lead singer. And of course my soulmate, Roger Taylor on the drums." Roger got the loudest applause and Brian only shook his head with a laugh. "Sorry ladies, he's taken."

"Ready Freddie?" Roger asked and Freddie nodded giving him the cue to the start a beat.

Freddie leaned in and spoke into the mic. "Hello all you beautiful people." He fumbled with the microphone to get it off the stand as we started with our intro Keep Yourself Alive. I cringed watching him struggle. "Keep yourself alive." Freddie said into the mic awkwardly before finally breaking it off the stand earning stunned gasps and scattered claps.

Now working with his now broken mic stand things seemed to be going uphill as Freddie started to sing. Of course he blew everyone away with his powerful muse voice. I kept my attention on him and my bass instead of the audience and felt confident. Then Freddie slipped and flubbed the lyrics.

" _But if I rode a million rivers and crossed a million miles..."_  He kept going regardless of his mistake which was admirable. "Learn the lyrics, Fred." Brian said under his breath as we kept going like true professionals.

I felt a rush of adrenaline when I heard the audience join on the final round of "Keep yourself alive". The song was catchy, but how could they learn the lyrics that quickly? Freddie didn't even know them! Either way, it felt amazing to see that we had the crowd completely captivated. My muse had done it and won over a room of strangers with just the power of his voice! I couldn't be prouder to be his soulmate right now. I watched in awe as Freddie pranced around the stage with impeccable conviction as he sang.

Then Freddie went to his piano, his fingers relentlessly brushing across the keys as he delivered the opening riff to Seven Seas of Rhye. I nearly melted when Freddie looked back (his fingers still quickly trailing despite his eyes leaving the piano) and smiled at me giving me a quick wink. Slowly I began to feel more comfortable with myself on stage, and as I played my guitar, I began to hop and dance to the sound of the beat. I let my body take in me whichever direction the rhythm was calling. This was actually super fun, and I didn't even feel self conscious. 

By the time we reached our second to last song, Liar, I was truly beginning to enjoy myself. I had a passion for engineering still, but I knew rock and roll was my true calling. Being up here on stage playing my guitar alongside my two best friends and the love of my life just felt so very natural and actually somewhat calming believe it or not. All those nerves from before vanished. I only felt the welcoming rush of music.

Then we hit the bridge, and I was still focused, but Freddie did something to distract me and suddenly my entire attention was glued to him. “ _Listen! Are you gonna listen!”_  He crooned, staring directly at me and making a small beckoning gesture with his painted black pointer finger. Until now I was convinced that only sirens like Roger held this kind of hypnotic power. Freddie couldn’t even use his magic when Brian was holding the red special, but somehow I was completely under his spell, drawn to his broken microphone.

“ _Mama, I’m gonna be your slave!”_  Freddie sang. “ _All day long!”_ I involuntarily parroted back into the mic, our faces practically touching. What was I doing? I didn’t sing. The harmonies belonged to Brian and Roger, but it happened again. “ _Mama, I’m gonna be your slave!” “All day long!”_ And then again a third time before I could even think to stop it. But Freddie didn’t seem to mind that I was hogging his microphone. Or at least his body language didn’t show it because he was leaning into my suggestively. With his eyes shut, Freddie sang the next verse, and I knew that unlike with Keep Yourself Alive, this slip-up in lyrics was no mistake.

_“I'm gonna love you till your dying day…”_

_“All day long!”_  I responded only to realize I was singing alone. Brian and Roger hadn’t joined in on that harmony.

My heart was fluttering and I could barely focus on the ending bass chords as we finished up the song, but my smile still stayed on. I couldn’t remember the last time I had ever had this much fun or felt like this ever before.

“Okay, my darlings!” Freddie addressed the audience as he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. “We’re going to sing one last song for you, and this one is very special to me. It’s a cover by one of my favorite artists, but the first time I saw a certain someone dance was to this tune.”

I nearly squealed as Roger counted us in to the beat of Elvis’s Jailhouse Rock. I had almost forgotten that I had danced to this the night we first met. I wasn’t aware that Freddie was watching me. However, now I let loose and did the jailhouse rock while jamming on my bass well aware that not only were Freddie’s eyes on me, but also an entire club full of people. How did shy little Deaky ever reach this point? God knows! All I know is that in that moment there was nothing to fear and everything to gain. I loved performing in this band with all of my heart.

“Thank you everyone! You’ve been a fabulous audience!” Freddie shouted over the roaring of the crowd giving us a standing ovation. “Goodnight!”

“We’re Smile!” Brian spoke into his mic as we walked off stage.

I jumped up and down excitedly as I left the the stage. “I can’t believe it!” I squealed. I pulled Freddie into a hug, but it was stiff. He was glaring at Brian as he congratulated a screaming Roger.

“What the hell, Brian? When did you decide to name the band? Why didn’t you tell us?” Freddie demanded.

“I dunno. I looked back and saw Roger smiling from the drums and he was going to be a dentist if not a rockstar, so why not Smile? You were supposed to introduce us as the frontman anyway. It doesn’t matter. We can always change the name, but we did amazing up there! Listen! They’re still cheering for us.”

“I love the name Smile, and I love us! We killed it! I’ve never been this happy in my entire life!” Roger shouted, throwing one of drumsticks in the air and catching it.

“I know! I’m so excited. I never thought it would feel this good! Smiles all around.” I reveled in the thrill.

“I was feeling the same way as all of you until you went and named the band without our permission. That is unacceptable.” Freddie sulked.

“Don’t sour our good mood, Fred. We’re all so high right now. Why can’t you just be happy that we kicked ass?” Roger argued.

“It really is no big deal.” Brain assured him.

“It is a big fucking deal!” Freddie exclaimed. “If we don’t have a serious talk about a band name we all agree on, then I don’t even know if I want to participate anymore.”

“Freddie, stop being such a drama queen.” I scolded.

“Darling, I wish you would stop calling me a drama….” Something in his dark eyes light up like a spark, and I knew something brilliant was about to happen. “QUEEN!”

I glanced at Brian and Roger who appeared just as confused as me by Freddie’s outburst. “Queen!” He shouted again as if it would mean something.

“You okay, mate? Did the adrenaline get to you or something?” Roger asked.

“Our band shall hereby be named Queen!” Freddie declared.

Roger laughed. Brian tilted his head in consideration. I fell in love on the spot. The name was so majestic and mysterious. “We’re Queen!” I agreed, giving Freddie a big kiss on the lips. “I kind of like it.” Brian remarked. “Queen it is.” “Alright.” Roger approved. “It has a nice ring to it.”

And from that moment on, the four of us were forever known as Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When John says it’s Freddie who successfully captivated the audience, Brian and Roger are like: Am I a joke to you? LOL. Deaky only seems to notice Freddie cause he’s lovestruck which is pretty understandable. 😍😍😍 Also, when they performed Liar at the Rainbow in 1974 (I'll put the link below), Freddie did switch out the lyrics from “serve you” to “love you”. I don’t want to say Deacury is real because obviously it’s not and to say that it is would be disrespectful to both John and Freddie. But that was just a sweet little moment between the two of them that made me fangirl.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdWtxjfmKC4


	14. Fight from the Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get a record deal, but Brian has to deal with hunter discrimination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and leaving your kudos and comments! If you want more merman Roger in your life I started a Queen Little Mermaid AU.
> 
> So at this point in the story, Queen's career is about to take off. For the sake of plot convenience, things are going to progress much faster than they did IRL and the timeline won't necessarily match Queen's real rise to fame. Keep that in mind as we go forward.

_Brian's POV_

We sat in the lobby of Foster Records with our lawyer Jim Beach who Freddie had officially dubbed "Miami". If today went well, we'd be launching our debut album Queen (named after the band), and John, Freddie and I could quit our jobs at the university.

It wasn't nice to eavesdrop, but even with his office door closed, Ray Foster's voice could still be heard as he loudly spoke on the phone. "Yeah I think this Madonna chick I signed has some potential. I'm just hoping she's not secretly a fae like I suspect. I swear there are so many fucking magical creatures trying to weasel their way into the industry. It's no wonder we're the last record label in the civilization. All the other ones went bankrupt 'cause they kept unknowingly signing these bastards. I thought it might be different across genres, but even in country music, their main star Johnny Cash was exposed a werewolf. Disgusting....What do you think of these muse accusations on John Lennon? Do you think they're accurate?...Oh yeah, I'm aware of what people are saying about Mick Jagger...Mhmm...I'll tell you if anything happens to the Stones, I signed a new band with a lead singer who claims he has moves like Jagger. They could make a decent replacement if they're all human and have nothing hide...Well, I'm eager about this next band I'm about to meet with. Their lead guitarist is a hunter, and I know for a fact that any decent hunter wouldn't join a band with deceitful magic fuckers..."

"He seems like a nice bloke." Roger said sarcastically.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Deaky asked.

"It's a horrible idea," I accepted, "but dreams have to start somewhere, right?"

"Leave the pep talks to me, darling, because that was absolutely horrible." Freddie criticized.

"Ray can be rather intimidating, but his bark is worse than his bite. Just do what he says, and you'll get the record deal and be rolling in riches in no time." Miami advised. "Once you get famous, the court of public opinion will value the name Queen more than Foster and you'll be able to manage yourselves."

Finally, Ray finished his phone call and opened the door. "Come on in boys. Make yourself at home."

"Let's do this!" Freddie proclaimed bouncing on the soles of his feet as he walked. If he was nervous, he sure wasn't showing it. We all filed onto the couch as Miami pulled up a chair next to Ray's desk.

"So I've listened to the tracks my representative passed onto me, and I have to say you four are very talented. I think you'd be a good fit for Foster Records." Ray said, "But I think we need some work on your image."

"We don't have an image, darling. Queen is whatever we want it to be." Freddie interjected.

"Mr. Mercury, as the leader of the band, you—"

"—Oh, I'm not the leader of the band. I'm just the lead singer. We're all four equal members. And please call me Freddie, dear. Mr. Mercury makes me sound so old, don't you think?"

"Fine.  I'll ask all of you up front. Are you exactly what you say you are? A hunter," Ray crudely pointed at me, "and three humans."

"What else would we be?" Freddie asked rhetorically while boldly looking the man in the eye.

"I dunno. I just need to hear it. None of you are magical creatures. And if you're lying to me or hiding something, there will be trouble, mark my word." He threatened.

"We are exactly what we say we are." I spoke up, hoping my authority as a hunter would give that statement some credence. "I'm sure you can smell the hunter scent on me, and I'll show you my mark if I have to. I can assure you that my bandmates are all human."

"There, you heard it!" Freddie declared. "Are you satisfied?"

"For now I suppose." Ray said. "Now let's talk about the issue of soulmates."

"I thought this was about the music. Our personal lives shouldn't be relevant." Roger shot. "Let's talk about our album."

"I'm not just selling albums here. I'm selling you. The public needs to be interested in Queen otherwise nothing will set you apart from any of the other run of the mill rock bands out there." Ray said.

"W-well we have a hunter in the band." John said. "T-that makes us stand out, r-right?" Then he shut his mouth. "That was a dumb thing to say. Sorry, Bri." He whispered.

"It's okay." I assured him. "Maybe I can help us stand out. I can't think of any bands who use a special weapon as an instrument. That could be a good selling point. I brought the red special with me if you'd like a demonstration."

"That's alright." Ray stopped me. "Back to the soulmate issue. Freddie, John, I smell your merged scents. You're married." Deaky whimpered and Freddie took his hand. "Is that a problem?" The muse asked his voice cold as ice.

"A big factor of rock bands is the sex appeal especially that of the frontman. Your relationship could jeopardize that by making you less appealing. Although, I think we can market blondie in that department instead." He said, ogling my soulmate. "Look at that perfect doll face on him. He's made to be the cute one who all the girls fawn over. Oh I could just imagine your picture on a teenager's wall."

"Well he's also taken." I snarled, taking Roger's hand. Roger grinned at me and then glared at Ray. "I've got news for you, buddy! I'm so much more than just another picture on a teenage wall."

"We all are." Freddie said. "We don't appreciate you telling us who or what we are. Like I said, Queen is whatever  _we_ want it to be."

"Alright." Ray clicked his tongue, clearly irritated by our pushback. Did we just blow it? "Would you be against suggestive photoshoots?"

"No, not at all, darling. We can have all types of photoshoots and wear all kinds of costumes and..." Freddie stopped himself and glanced back at us. "What do you say boys? Are you okay with sexy photoshoots?"

"It could be fun." Roger said. "I don't see anything wrong with it." I agreed. "As long as we're all posing together and it's not just me alone." Deaky said hesitantly.

"And how would you feel about a  _naked_  photoshoot?" Ray proposed.

My stomach dropped. I drew the line there. I wouldn't call myself a prude, but posing naked made me uncomfortable. After all we were rock stars not porn stars. Deaky choked back on a gasp and shook his head. Meanwhile Freddie nodded excitedly and Roger shrugged and said "Why the hell not?"

"I think it would definitely remedy the soulmate issue by making you more appealing." Ray reasoned. "Also if you're naked, you won't be able to hide any of your marks, so we'll know immediately if you're telling the truth about what you are."

Roger's smile faded, and he looked down at the bandage on his hand covering his siren mark. Freddie fidgeted at his sleeve anxiously. Deaky closed his eyes tightly as if he were praying for this meeting to end.

That left me to deal with this chaos. "This is all marketing, but let's talk about the album itself." I said. "Obviously you would have kicked us out already if you didn't have interest in giving us that record deal."

"Clever for a hunter, aren't you?" Ray smirked. "The tracks I've heard are pretty strong. I think Keep Yourself Alive, Liar, and Seven Seas of Rhye should be your singles off the album. Those are all credited to you, right, Mr. Mercury?"

"Actually Keep Yourself Alive is my song." I corrected.

"The other two are mine." Freddie clarified.

Ray shook his head. "That isn't going to work."

"What isn't going to work?" Roger asked.

"A hunter taking writing credits." He said bluntly. "People are more likely to believe your pretty blonde face is capable of coming up with a melody than a bloody hunter. They're brains aren't wired properly for this creative stuff. No offense, Brian, but just stick with the guitar and leave the song writing to the other three."

"It's not a matter of what people believe. The truth is the truth. I wrote nearly half the songs on the album." I shouted.

"And we wouldn't be a band without him." Freddie vouched for me. "Now you give him the credit he deserves or we walk. Queen doesn't adhere to stereotypes, and I don't give a fuck what you think people believe or expect. We're here to make great music and entertain people. That's the bottom line. Otherwise there's no bloody point to this industry."

"People won't pay to hear songs written by a hunter. His hand eye is good for guitar, and it's wonderful confirmation that you three are human, but that's about all he's good for. I know you're trying to make some kind of statement by giving Brian the writing credits, but no one is buying it."

I considered getting up and storming out, but I couldn't do that to the others. This wasn't fair, but I just had to suck it up. "Fred, just take the credit. It's fine."

"Bloody hell!" Roger shouted. "No, it's not fine. Freddie didn't even bother learn the lyrics to Keep Yourself Alive. It's your fucking song, Brimi. Everyone needs to know how talented you are and I won't stand for anyone else taking the credit for you!"

"None of us would even be here without you, Brian." John said.

"I know," I sighed, "but we've made it this far, and we have no other choice. As long as you three know the truth, then Freddie can take the credit."

"I wouldn't dare do that to you, darling." Freddie said. "And you should never agree to something so ridiculous. I say we walk. We can find another way to get our music out there."

"Yeah let's get the fuck out of here!" Roger agreed, but I held him back. Foster Records was the only label company in the civilization. There was no other option.

"A-Are you wiling to change your mind, Mr. Foster?" Deaky asked.

"I know what sells, and that's tradition. Hunters are made for strenuous activities, not taking the time to sit down and put pencil to paper. I'm surprised you even learned how to read and write. Back in my day, they didn't teach literacy in hunting school. No wonder all these magical creatures are bustling about unnoticed. We aren't training our hunters properly anymore. They've become too cerebral and soft."

Fuck it! I couldn't take the insults anymore. "Let's go boys. We don't have a deal." I helped Roger to his feet as Freddie promptly stormed toward the door. Even Deaky made a dramatic exit giving Ray a very scornful glare as he left.

Freddie paused in the doorway. "You will forever be known as the man who lost Queen."

"Wait!" Miami called, and I paused to rethink this decision. Maybe our trusted lawyer could help us out of this predicament.

"Miami, darling, I'm sorry, but we've made a band decision.  We're not signing unless all four of us are shown the respect we deserve." Freddie said firmly.

"Especially Brian." Roger said, clinging to me.

"I appreciate your support, but let's hear Miami out." I said.

"Thank you, Brian." He said. "What if you have your songs credited as Queen collectively rather than individually. You can split the royalties evenly four ways."

Ray cocked his head in consideration. "I suppose that could work. Would you like to renegotiate, boys?"

I glanced back at Roger, Freddie and Deaky who were practically out the door. If I said the word, they'd walk. But we wouldn't get another opportunity like this. We just needed to put up with Foster and his narrow minded cronies until we became big enough to manage ourselves. The fact that we made it this far in the matter of a week was rather unbelievable in and of itself. I wasn't ready to give this miracle up yet. I returned to the couch and gestured for the others to follow. "We're listening." I said.

***

"Come on, you guys. Perk up! We got a record deal, and we're going on tour next month!" I exclaimed. None of them even cracked a smile.

Roger picked up a rock. "I wanna throw this at his window after the way he treated you."

"Ooh! Allow me, darling." Freddie took the rock from him.

"No!" I snatched the rock away. "No one is throwing anything at the window. Let's just be happy that we made it this far. I mean just last week we dreaming about this, and now we're real rockstars."

"But Foster humiliated you, and we agreed to a naked photoshoot." Deaky sighed.

"The photoshoot will be fun! We can just cover our marks with makeup concealer. No one will suspect a thing." Freddie dismissed. "But what's concerning is how belittling Foster was to you, Brimi. You shouldn't have to put up with that crap. You're always helping us fight our battles, and now we're here for you."

"So let me throw something at his window to show to send him a message." Roger begged. "When someone insults you, I take it personally because you're a part of me."

"Thanks, Roggie." I put my arm around him reassuringly. "I know it's hard not to fight back, but all we can do is prove Foster wrong and show him that we're not defined by stereotypes. It's upsetting to deal with him and people like him, but we got our end result, and we should all be very proud of ourselves. Now let's go get to work on Queen II."

"If that's really what you want." Deaky said.

"It is what I want. We need to celebrate and then get to work." I insisted.

We continued our stroll back to the flat, discussing our upcoming promotions and tour and bouncing around song ideas.

"So who's bright idea was it to name our next album Queen II?" Freddie quipped.

"Yours." I reminded him.

"Really?" He laughed. "I find that hard to believe."

"You suggested it last night and we all agreed." Roger recalled. "Remember?"

"Oh yes. I was drunk. Darlings, don't take me seriously when I'm drunk. We're not calling it Queen II."

"But I like Queen II." Deaky pouted.

"Then we're calling it Queen II." Freddie declared. "It was  _my_ brilliant idea after all."

"Are you sure you're not still drunk?" Roger jabbed.

' _It's not like we take him seriously even when he's sober.'_ I joked to myself. Freddie glared at me. Shit! He heard that. "Oh come on!" I cried, "I'm kidding, Freddie. We love you. Of course we take you seriously."

"That's what I thought." He said.

When we returned back to the flat, the phone was ringing. I assumed it was Reid checking in on my progress of tracking Roger, but I answered it anyway. "Hello?"

"Brian, it's a wonder I can even still recognize your voice. You haven't bothered to give us a call in ages." My mother said. Well this was a surprise. I tried to keep in contact with my parents, but it was difficult with our many disagreements over whether or not I should reenroll in hunting school and do what I was "made to do."

"I know. I'm sorry, Mom. I've just been very busy lately."  _'Busy hiding a muse, shapeshifter, and siren who just so happens to be my soulmate.'_ "How are you?"

"I'm good, dear. I was just calling to check in on you and make sure everything was alright. Your father and I have been very worried about you. We never hear from you." She said. "It's been months since we've last spoken to you."

Had it really been months? I struggled to remember the last time I called home. I recalled discussing the possibility of moving back in with my parents because I couldn't afford rent anymore. Then along came John and my prayers were answered. Things can really change in the blink of an eye.

"I'm fine, really never better actually." I assured her. "I'm in a band now, a real band. We just got signed, and we're going on tour next month. We have a gig this weekend in that big concert hall overlooking the park. You and Dad should come."

"Oh Brian, that's amazing! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Harold will be so proud of you!" Mom exclaimed. "We'd love to be there in the audience to cheer you on!"

I let out a sigh of relief. My parents questioned many of my choices which strayed very far from hunter tradition, but they had been supportive of me for the most part. Now I wasn't sure how they'd react to knowing about the magical status of my bandmates and soulmate.

"I'm so glad you finally found a niche, Brian! You're a fantastic guitarist, and I know you'll keep your bandmates very safe. I think every band should have a hunter with them especially one whose special weapon is a guitar. Yes, this is the second best thing for you outside of becoming a real hunter. I'm so proud. Now you don't have to waste your time chasing badgers and looking at stars."

"I'm still going to pursue astrophysics and save badgers." I told her. "The band doesn't change that."

"Whatever you say, honey, but I'm still going to tell the neighbors that you're a full time rockstar now. That just sounds better." Mom said. Full time rockstar. I did like the sound of that. We had the most meddlesome neighbors back at home who tended to be judgmental. Since it was an all hunter neighborhood I didn't blame my parents for not necessarily taking pride in my career path. Still it seemed like being in a band was a good thing in their eyes. Maybe I wouldn't feel as ostracized in the hunting community anymore.

"So, the other reason I called is to invite you to the civilization's annual hunter gathering." Mom said. "I know you haven't gone in years, but before you say no, I want you to know that I ran into Mrs. Anderson at the grocery store the other day. You remember her? Well, her cousin Joy Tyler just moved to our neighborhood and she has two children your around age, a boy and a girl. Riley Matthew Tyler and Rebecca Minnie Tyler. And according to Mrs. Anderson they're both currently single and they'll be attending the hunter gathering this year. Brian, this might be your chance to finally meet RMT."

"Um." I glanced up at Roger. Freddie had sung him a pair of bright red high heels, and he was stumbling around in them. "If you can learn to walk in those, then walking in general will become a whole lot easier for you, darling!" Freddie encouraged. I couldn't help but grin as I admired how cute Roger looked shuffling about in the heels and giggling.

"Brian, are you still there?" Mom asked.

"I already met my soulmate." I blurted.

"WHAT? Oh my goodness! Brian, when did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? I want all the details!"

"Well, his name is Roger."

At the mention of his name, Roger looked up, and then fell flat on his face. Freddie and Deaky helped him back up.

"Is that really all you're going to tell me? What does he look like? How old is he? Where is he from? How did you meet? Do we know his family? What kind of hunter is he?" Mom prattled.

"Roger isn't really a h—"

"—Oh! Your father just walked in. Harold, you'll never believe it! Brian met his soulmate!"

"WHAT? That's amazing!" I could hear my father proudly proclaim.

"Bri, you're on speaker phone. Dad's here. Now tell us everything about Roger." Mom prompted.

What could I say? They were expecting me to end up with a very traditional hunter to lead me back down that path myself. To make matters worse, Roger was staring at me curiously awaiting my answer.

"He's really something special." That was a good start. "He's funny and smart and his energy just lights up the room."

"You think I'm smart?" Roger gasped. I nodded smiling at how proud of himself he looked over that compliment.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love, son." Dad chuckled.

"I am. I love him and he loves me. We've only known each other for a week, and it's been a rather chaotic week, but by far the best week of my life because of him." I lost myself in Roger's beautiful blue eyes as I spoke.

"Congratulations!" Dad exclaimed. "Those first few days with your soulmate can be very overwhelming but in a good way. I'm very happy for you. We were waiting for this day to come."

"So when are we going to meet the love of your life?" Mom asked excitedly.

"Y-you want to meet him?" I asked nervously. The magic suppressants made Roger smell human, but there was no way he could pass for a hunter. Would my parents still be this enthusiastic knowing that my soulmate wasn't going to guide me back to tradition as they planned.

"Of course we want to meet him. He's your soulmate, Brian. That makes him family." Dad said.

"Before you know it, he'll be our son in law." Mom said.

I nearly dropped the phone. I loved Roger with all of my heart, but I wasn't ready for that next step in our relationship. We both had a lot of maturing to do before we could get married. Well more so Roger than me, but now was just not a good time. Maybe when we became more successful and could afford to move into a flat of our own. I didn't mind Deaky and Freddie at all, but it would be nice to have a place to ourselves.

"You should invite Roger to the hunter gathering." Mom suggested. "That way everyone can meet him and see how happy you two are together."

"No!" I cried a little too defensively. Roger flinched slightly at my sudden sharp tone. I couldn't help it. Maybe it was suppressed hunter instinct, but my overprotectiveness was kicking in. There was no way I'd ever allow my sweet siren to go to a party packed with hundreds of hunters. As a hunter myself I was even uncomfortable by the ordeal and had been boycotting it since I became old enough to make my own decisions.

"Look son, we know you don't appreciate the ways and culture of our kind, and we've been trying our best to accommodate you." Dad said. "But there comes a time when you need to stop thinking about your own needs and consider how others feel. I'm sure Roger will want someone to accompany him to the gathering this year and it would be highly inappropriate for him to show up like a single man without his soulmate."

"Roger isn't a hunter." It finally came out. There was silence on the other end of the line. I had to say it. Even if my parents didn't accept my soulmate, he would always be mine. Roger meanwhile disappeared into the other room leaving me to only guess what could be going through his mind.

"So...he's human?" Mom assumed her voice failing to mask her disappointment.

"I don't care if you don't approve. I love him the same." I said.

"We should have seen this coming, but honestly, I think you match well with a human." Dad said. "I'm sorry if we ever gave you the impression that either of you wouldn't be enough for us. We love you very much, Brian, and Roger is still part of the family no matter what. Soulmates are soulmates."

"Yes." Mom said. "It's okay. It's not too uncommon either. I know lots of hunters with human soulmates. I mean it's a miracle you didn't end up with some magical creature heaven forbid. Brian, you have nothing to worry about. Your father and I will always love you even though you can be difficult at times. We still want to meet Roger. I'm sure we'll be very fond of him. Humans are more than welcome to attend the hunter gathering. You should consider inviting him."

"I'll think about it." I said because I wasn't in the mood to argue. "You can meet Roger at the concert this weekend. I'll introduce you to him after the show. Oh, I didn't tell you the best thing about him did I? Roger's the drummer in our band, and he's really bloody good! You need to see him in action."

I spoke a little bit more about the band, trying to remain vague so they wouldn't catch onto my bandmates' secret. My parents assumed they were human, and I preferred to keep it that way. There was no telling how they'd react to the news of their magical status, and with a neighborhood as nosy as ours, it would only be a matter of time until Mom accidentally spilled to a fellow hunter. She was more likely to than Dad anyway.

"So I'll see you at the concert this weekend." I confirmed.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Dad said.

"And we're so excited to meet Roggie and your new friends!" Mom exclaimed. "Take care, Brian." 

"Bye. Love you." I hung up and glanced around the now empty room. Where did everyone go? Even Delilah was gone. It was just me and Little Dipper. They couldn't all be in the bedroom. The space was too cramped to do anything besides sleeping so we didn't spend much of our day in there. Still, I checked anyway.

John and Freddie were both in bed. John was lying on his stomach, scribbling away in a notebook. I spotted the word "Misfire" written boldly at the top of the page but his hand covered the rest as he wrote. Freddie was lying flat on his back staring up at the ceiling dreamily. He reached backward to the keyboard being used as a headrest (there was no other place to store it) and started to play a melody upside down. I didn't want to disturb their creative flows, but I really wanted to know where Roger was.

"Bathtub." Freddie blurted. "Makes sense he's most comfortable song writing in water...and I'm most comfortable song writing when I'm lying next to my—" Delilah interrupted him with some meows. Freddie rolled his eyes. "I was going to say soulmate  _and_ cat, dear. No need to fret."

"I'll leave you to it." I said. As Freddie promised, I found Roger in the bathtub with his shimmering blue tail sticking out over the edge. I loved seeing him in his true form like this.

"So your hunter parents want to meet me." Roger said.

"If you feel uncomfortable, then you don't have to." I assured him.

“I don’t know, Bri.” He sighed, “It’s not that I feel uncomfortable. I’m just not sure they’ll like me even if they do think I’m human. What if I’m not what they had in mind for you?”

“That’s rubbish. You’re my soulmate. It doesn’t matter what they have in mind for me. We were made to be together regardless of what others think. And I have a feeling my parents will love you.” I told him.

“How can they love me when they don’t know the real me?” Roger gestured to his scales.

“As beautiful as this is.” I said, gently touching his tail. “That’s not the real you. The real you is in here.” I put a hand to his heart.

“Cliche bastard.” He laughed, giving me a splash. I stuck my hand in the water and splashed back. We could really go at this for hours if we had to.

“So I was thinking a lot about what Foster had to say about you and how fucked up it was.” Roger said. “But you’re right. The best way to fight back is to prove him wrong. Show him that you’re the most brilliant person we know and keep on writing the hits. You gotta fight from the inside to show him who’s boss.”

I was about to say something in agreement, but then Freddie walked into the room. He put a finger to his lips and shut the door behind him, locking it. “Deaky’s deep in concentration so he didn’t notice me leave, but I told Delilah to keep him distracted.” He whispered. “Tomorrow is a very special day for us, darlings.”

“Tomorrow is Tuesday.” Roger stated as I tried to remember if we agreed to any promotions or events for tomorrow. The naked photoshoot wasn’t for another few days.

Freddie shook his head. “It’s not just any Tuesday. It’s August 19th.”

“Shoot! It’s John’s birthday.” I realized. “How could I forget?”

“We need to make his day absolutely perfect!” Freddie proclaimed. “So how about I wake him up with a serenading song tomorrow morning and you two present him with a full English breakfast in bed. Make sure there’s plenty of toast.”

“I don’t cook.” Roger said bluntly. “We could go to the beach again. That was fun. John seemed really happy at the boardwalk.”

“Or we could just ask John what  _he_ wants for his birthday.” I suggested.

“And ruin the surprise? You’re no fun at all!” Freddie scoffed. “I’ll tell you whatever we plan on doing, we need to create the ultimate birthday bash that he will never forget! Something outrageous and extravagant and worthy of my Deaky.”

“We’re talking about John here, right? Because it sounds like you’re throwing yourself a party with all this talk of extravagance.” Roger said, “I’m with Brian’s idea. Let’s just ask him what he wants.”

“Fine.” Freddie agreed. “But let’s at least surprise him with a good morning serenade and breakfast in bed. Then we can ask him what he wants. But no ruining the surprise until tomorrow morning. Okay, darlings?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up: Deaky’s birthday party, the naked photoshoot, and Roger meeting Brian’s family. This is going to be a very long story, and I’ve got a lot more planned. So stay tuned. Thanks for reading!


	15. Five Nights at Freddie's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys celebrate John's birthday at ChuckECheese.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've featured a one-shot for this story called The Seven Tuna Steaks of Rhye. Check it out if you'd like! Now here's the fun little chapter on Deaky's birthday and the reference to FNAF that no one asked for! Let's face it, after all the drama, the boys deserve to have some fun...at ChuckECheese. 🙃

John's POV

'Two weeks with Brian, and things were beginning to look up for me. By now, my mentality had completely shifted. Instead of fearing that I couldn't leave, I was scared that Brian would kick me out or Tim would find me and kidnap me. So far neither of those things had happened. I knew I could trust Brian because he didn't lash out at me when I glitched and actually helped me become visible again. Plus he got me my dream job. The chemists would be so proud of me working as an engineer especially at such a young age. Still, when I watched Brian play guitar, part of me knew I wanted to pursue music as well.

"Good morning, John!" I jumped when Brian stepped into the kitchen, just out of instinct. I felt myself fade for a second, but I came back within a moment. "I um made us oatmeal." I said awkwardly, as I added some honey to my bowl.

"No toast?" He laughed. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh! I could make toast if that's what you want."

"No, oatmeal is fine." He replied. "I was just wondering because you seem to really enjoy toast, especially cheese on toast."

"I do, but I figured you'd want a variety of food." I said. "I'll...um...go back to making toast again if that's what you want."

"It's up to you." Brian said taking his bowl. "You know you really don't even have to cook for me all the time like this."

"Y-You're letting me stay here...and you...you're nice to me. So it's the least I can do." I stammered.

"I don't expect anything from you, John." He said. "In fact, I got you a little house warming gift. Consider it a peace offering."

"A p-peace offering?"

"To prove to you that you don't have to be so on edge around me all the time despite what you may think of me."

"I—I don't...I'm sorry. I trust you. I just...I've been through some messed up shit. I-I'm like this with everyone now, not just you. I'm really better off alone." That was probably the most I told him about my past in these two weeks, and I wasn't planning on opening up anymore.

"You're not better off alone. I don't know what you've gone through, but I hope this gift will show you that things can be better." Brian said. "Now close your eyes."

I was hesitant, but followed Brian's directions, knowing he'd never hurt me. Something small and round was placed in between my fingers. It had a plastic consistency.

"Is this a guitar pick?" I had taught myself to play bass using just my fingers, but a pick could certainly be useful. Too bad I didn't have a guitar to play. Brian would never let me borrow his beloved red special. Besides I knew better than to mess with a hunter's special weapon.

"You can open your eyes now, John." Brian said.

I gasped. Brian was holding a beautiful bass guitar that looked brand new. There was no way he could afford it. "It came with the pick. Personally I use a coin, but the pick might work for you."

"F-For me?"

"Yes. What good is having a flatmate with guitar skills if he can't jam out with me? Now go ahead and give it a go. See if it needs any tuning."

I reluctantly took the instrument from Brian. I blinked back the tears in my eyes and I struck the first note. Then I began to play a riff.

"That's really good!" Brian exclaimed.

"You're just saying that...I'm sure a white rapper from Florida could do better." That was something Tim would say to me anyway. I could only imagine him getting me my own guitar as a joke. I was nothing more than a joke to him. "This is the part where you say April Fool's and take the bass back."

"It's January." He reminded me. "I want you to have this guitar, John, and you're a really good bassist. So I don't want you to put yourself down anymore. Understand?"

"Yes si—Bri...Sorry." I shook my head in disbelief. "Did you really go out of your way to get this for me? Why would you do that?"

"Because the only time you ever smile is when we talk about music or I play my guitar. I saw this in the window of a store on the way to the nightclub, and it was on sale. I just couldn't resist. It seemed to have your name written on it." Brian explained.

"No one's ever...gotten me a present like this before." I stammered. "T-Thank you."

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I'm sure you've gotten at least one other special present in your life. What about on your birthday?"

Back in the outskirts my family of course celebrated my birthday, but there wasn't anything to special they could do and they couldn't get me any presents. All they did was wish me a happy birthday verbally, but we had to keep our voices down, so singing it was out of the question. I never did have a true birthday or birthday party, but it was something I had always dreamed of...'

"Quiet, Delilah! You'll wake him up!"

"Don't tell Delilah to be quiet when you're the one shouting, darling!"

"Of course you'd defend the bloody catfish over me."

"Will you two stop arguing and help me carry all these plates? Freddie, this was your idea, and you haven't helped once."

"What are you talking about? I put the candles in the toast. That's something, right?"

I blinked open my eyes, yawning tiredly. Delilah jumped up onto the bed. She looked right into my eyes and then glanced back into the other room, mewling something. "Shit! Delilah says he's up!" I heard Freddie.

The muse came running and joined me in the bed. He gave me a chaste kiss. "I'm so sorry, my love. I was supposed to be here at your side when you woke up."

"That's okay." I sat up. "What's going on? It sounds like you three are up to something. Do you want me to cook breakf—" Freddie put his lips on mine to silence me. When he pulled away he omitted the most heavenly sound.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Ooh ooh

Ooh ooh ooh take it take it all away

Ooh ooh ooh ooh - ooh take my breath away - ooh

Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Ooh you take my breath away..."

Freddie's voice was haunting, and he knew it as well as I did. He smiled from ear to ear, tracing the goosebumps that had collected on my arms with his fingers. "You take my breath away." He whispered.

"Look into my eyes and you'll see

I'm the only one

You've captured my love

Stolen my heart

Changed my life

Every time you make a move

You destroy my mind

And the way you touch

I lose control and shiver deep inside

You take my breath away..."

There were many times that I was left speechless. This was one of them, but it was a good thing. My beautiful muse continued to sing to me, and I had no choice but to listen and enjoy as I was so hopelessly in love with him.

"...I will find you

Anywhere you go

Right until the ends of the Earth

I'll get no sleep till I find you to

Tell you when I've found you -

I love you."

"Happy birthday, darling!"

"I-It's the 19th?" Like every year my birthday had completely slipped my mind, but Freddie had of course remembered. He laughed as his glow faded. "Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday?"

Before I could say anything, Brian and Roger walked in carrying plates consisting of a full English breakfast, but I couldn't care less about the eggs and sausages. All I spotted was a big pile of toast with candles sticking out of the top slice.

"Now you have to forgive us, dear, we haven't rehearsed this, but at least my voice is warmed up." Freddie said. He nodded to the other two, and then they all harmonized singing me Happy Birthday. By the end, my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe how much effort they all put in to making me feel special this morning.

"Roger, you were flat." Freddie criticized.

"Like John can do any better?" Roger rightfully retorted. It was true. I left the singing to these three for a reason.

"Oh, Deaky, don't be ridiculous. I happen to know that you have a very lovely singing voice." Freddie planted another kiss on my cheek. "Now blow out these candles and make a wish."

Real birthday candles and a wish. I reveled in the feeling. There was nothing I could wish for that I didn't already have. I looked up gratefully at Brian and Roger, my brothers, then at Freddie, my soulmate. After all this time, I found my family.

'I wish for Queen to last forever.' I thought and blew out my candles. Brian and Roger applauded, and Freddie gave me another kiss. "One day we'll make it to Wembley. I just know it!" He whispered. "Queen will last so long as we're all still standing. I promise."

"I love you, Freddie." I cooed.

"I love you too." He took my hand. "Ready for your present?"

I gasped. "I thought the breakfast in bed was the present!"

"That was our present." Brian clarified. "Well it was Fred's idea, but Roger and I did all the work so we're going to take credit for it."

"We thought the morning serenade was Freddie's gift, but apparently he has something else his sleeve to make us look like rotten friends for not getting you anything else." Roger said.

"This alone is perfect!" I said taking a bite of toast. "Toasted to perfection too. Not too crispy but not too mushy."

"John." Freddie stole back my attention. Still holding my hand, he removed himself from the bed and crouched down on one knee. He put his lips to my ring finger and then sang a chilling high note. A large rounded diamond appeared on my hand in a ring that fit snuggly around my finger. "It's not real, nothing more than an illusion that will disappear at midnight when my magic wears off. But I promise that until I can afford to get you the proper ring that you deserve just like this one, I'll keep singing you a new one each and every day. What do you think, darling, do you love it?"

"Oh Freddie it's beautiful!" I exclaimed. "Thank you. Thank you."

"You're very very welcome, my dear. Take it off for a moment and look on the inside of the band."

'Happy birthday' was etched on the inside of the band resembling Freddie's handwriting which marked my body as well. I peered beneath the covers at the name Farrokh Bulsara etched on my foot next to my restored shapeshifter mark. All was Freddie's doing. As far as I was concerned, my muse was also an angel.

"Tomorrow I'll write something new. Every day I'll mark the new ring with some sort of loving message. Then you'll let me know your favorite one and I'll have it engraved on the real ring." Freddie explained.

"I don't know what to say." I whispered.

"Well we also got you something." Roger interrupted the all too perfect moment. "We did?" Brian asked. Without any explanation, Roger ran into the other room. He came back and handed me two grocery bags. "The bigger one is from me and the smaller one is from Brian. See? We're not such lousy friends after all."

"Roger," Brian protested, "we didn't—"

I took Roger's present out of the bag first. It was the car manual. "Well this is...thoughtful."

Roger nodded enthusiastically. "Go on open the next one from Brian."

"I haven't a clue what's in mine." Brian said as I unveiled his gift from the bag. I found the car keys to the Jeep and now I was even more confused by Roger's antics. Brian took the car keys from me and put them in his pocket.

"What are you doing, Bri? Giving Deaky the car for the day would've been the perfect birthday present. I'm surprised I came up with something so brilliant on the spot." Roger exclaimed.

Brian rolled his eyes and shifted his attention back to me. "John, what would you like to do today? Freddie and Roger both have plans, but I figured it'd be best to let you decide what would be most fun on your birthday."

"If you can't come up with anything better, I'll be taking you to the theater this evening." Freddie said. "We'll have a night at the opera."

"Or we could go back to the beach, get wasted and heckle a Lost Luggage concert which I think is way more celebratory than the bloody boring opera." Roger suggested.

"Deaky what would you like?" Brian asked.

"I-I don't know." I was happy with any of these ideas. The fact that I was truly celebrating my birthday for the first time in my life meant the world to me regardless of what activity we chose.

"Opera it is then!" Freddie declared.

Brian ignored him and continued to pester me. "Is there anything special you've been wanting to do for your birthday but never got the chance, maybe when you were a boy in the outskirts?"

Before working with the chemists, I never even knew children had birthday parties. It wasn't until I was eighteen that I overheard one of my chemist friends talking about how he celebrated his daughter's fifth birthday back in the civilization. Apparently it was commonplace for kids to invite all of their classmates to some big event at a fun venue. In this case, they had gone to a place called ChuckECheese, and all the children had blast. I knew the place was meant for little kids, but it would be nice to experience something that I had missed out on during my lack of a childhood. Plus anything with the word "cheese" in the title was worthy in my opinion.

"What the bloody hell is ChuckECheese?" Freddie blurted.

"The pizza arcade?" Brian asked skeptically. "Is that what you're thinking, Deaky?"

"Um...I know it's for kids, but I didn't really have a childhood, and this is my very first birthday ever... but we could just go to the beach or the opera."

"Ah, Deaks, you're breaking my heart!" Roger squealed. "Of course we're taking you to this Chester Cheese place!"

"Anything to make you happy, darling." Freddie said, planting a kiss on my head.

***

"Well this is...certainly not the opera." Freddie remarked. I caught a ball that came flying out of the ball pit before it could hit him in the face. An obnoxiously child laughed and nearly ran over our feet sprinting past us.

"Check it out!" Roger exclaimed as he put his tokens into a car simulator game. "It's the machine of a dream!"

"I don't think it's such a clean machine." Freddie said. "Why does everything in here smell like vomit?"

I shrugged and went to enjoy myself much like Roger. It was my birthday, and I was going to have a good time. "Ski ball anyone?" I was about to put in my tokens to start the game, but then I noticed the crowd surrounding Brian. Curiously, I went to see what he was up to. "Wow! You're about to beat the high score! You're a true Guitar Hero!" A kid exclaimed.

"Please," Freddie laughed, "you should see him with a real guitar. It's guaranteed to blow your mind. Anyone can push buttons that light up. Brimi's the real deal."

"I'm also pretty good at the button thing so it seems." Brian said. "Oh look! I unlocked a bonus level."

Several more kids ran up, shoving us out of the way so they could watch Brian in action. I decided to find something else to do, and suddenly I was met with the glowing temptation of Dance Dance Revolution. Yes!

"Freddie, play with me!" I pleaded.

"Of course, darling."

We stepped onto the platform and loaded the game. Then we challenged each other to stepping in time to the flashing rhythms. Freddie looked over and winked at me when some of the kids watching Brian left the Guitar Hero machine to come ogle us instead. I'd normally be self conscious dancing in front of so many people like this, but I wasn't alone. Freddie was by my side.

"Alright!" Freddie exclaimed as we progressed to the next level.

'And you thought the opera would be more fun than this.' I thought.

"I will defend opera until the day I—Fuck!" Freddie slipped and stepped on yellow instead of pink. "Stop distracting me, Deaky!"

"I didn't say a word." I stated with a snicker. "How am I being distracting?"

Freddie clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "I think Delilah is a bad influence on you, darling. You were never quite this sassy with me."

"Whatever you say, Freddie, but I'm about to beat you!" I laughed jumping on both pink and blue with precision. Freddie cursed as the words "You Lose!" flashed on his monitor. "This game is fucking rigged anyway."

We stepped off the platform and allowed for another pair to play the game. I couldn't stop smiling as Freddie sulked in defeat. "Will it make you feel any better if I win you a toy cat from the skill crane?" I offered. "Look, they have a plushie that looks just like Delilah."

"Deaky, darling, you know that there's absolutely no chance of winning those things. They're designed to fail. Unless of course..." Freddie eyed the machine which the kids didn't seem too interested in. Then he glanced back at Brian busy with Guitar Hero.

"You know what, I think I'll give this thing a shot." He said, putting his tokens into the machine which buzzed to life. Before he began, Freddie again eyed his surroundings as if he was making sure that no one was watching us. Then he positioned the claw directly above the tail of the cat and slammed down on the button. With held breath, I watched as the claw swooped down, clamping on the plushie's tail managing to lift it up. For a moment, I thought Freddie had it, but then the toy slipped from the claw's grip. Only before it could land back down into the pile of fellow plushies, Freddie sang out a soft note, and the claw lunged back down, wrapping itself against the cat again. At this point, I was too preoccupied with the gorgeous hint of light omitting from Freddie's skin as he used his magic to realize that he had won the prize. "Ha!" Freddie fisted his hand in the air as he clutched the plushie in the other like he would a microphone.

"What did you do?" I cried.

"For you, my love." He handed over the cat.

"And this is for you." I said subtly giving him my magic suppressant pill bottle. "I thought we agreed on no risks in public. What if someone saw you glow?"

"No one wants to waste their time on the skill crane, Deaky. I told you it's rigged. So there's no one around here to see me." Freddie said as he popped a pill. "Except you of course, but I don't mind your eyes on me. So, you're welcome for the plushie. It does look like Delilah. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it, but she can't have it because I won it for you."

I expected Freddie to immediately hand the bottle back to me, but he dumped out some pills and pocketed them first. I had a feeling he might be in need of the suppressants for more cheating that required magic. I tried to signal for Brian to come talk some sense into Freddie, but he was too absorbed in Guitar Hero to notice me.

"I wonder what Roger is up to. I doubt that car game was enough to keep him entertained this long." Freddie wandered away in search of the siren, and I followed him to make sure he wouldn't get into any trouble.

I nearly bumped into Freddie when came to an abrupt halt. "Look at that sign!" He gasped. "They serve beer here. I never would've guessed. Do you think they have any fine wine?"

"Um...." I looked around at all the unruly kids jumping around like wild animals in the grimy playpens and ball pits. "I'm going to say no."

"That's a shame. Alright, darling, I'm going to order you a birthday cake, and Brian and Roger will probably want a pizza. Why don't you have a seat over there and wait for me?"

I tentatively took a seat by the food ordering station, surprised that this portion of the building was so empty. Why wasn't anyone sitting here? The arcade and play areas were very crowded, but anything beyond the kitchen was dead silent without a child in site. Then it all clicked when my eyes traveled to the stage which all the seats were facing. Horrifying animatronic figures lined across the stage. Their large demonic eyes were blank and lifeless, but somehow it seemed like they were staring right at me. "AAAAAA!" I shrieked.

"Roger?" Brian finally looked up from his guitar console. He dropped it, costing him the game and high score, and came running. "Deaky, are you okay? Where's Roger? I thought I heard him scream."

"N-No...that was me." My voice was hoarse as I pointed to the stage. Brian immediately stiffened. "Oh my God! What the hell are those things?"

A teenage employee sweeping in the corner paid no attention to our scared expression. "Those are ChuckE and his friends." He deadpanned. "They used to put on a show every hour, but we had to disable them because during one show they came to life and murdered all the children. So now they just stand here on the dark stage collecting dust waiting to be turned back on so they can kill again."

"WHAT?" I cried.

"Nah, I'm just kidding. We had to retire the show because too many parents complained that it gave their kids nightmares."

"I can see why." Brian said.

The teenager shrugged. "In my opinion they're way creepier on a dark stage all motionless like this. When we turn them on, the stage lights up, and they sing and dance. It makes them a bit less off putting. I'd show you but the manager forbids us from ever turning it on again. She's sick of the parents' complaints. Well I've gotta go clean the poop out of the ball pit. Catch you later!"

I couldn't help but shudder as the creatures on stage all stared blankly at me with glassy eyes. As an electrical engineer, animatronics like these should intrigue me. So why was I scared out of my mind by them?

"Whoever designed these with children in mind made a mistake." Brian said.

Freddie approached our table balancing a tray with four beers and a basket of fried chicken. "The cake and pizza will be ready soon. I asked if they had any caviar we could snack on in the meantime, and I got the rudest response. I told them to just give me fried chicken instead which they surprisingly did have."

I strained my eyes trying to view the menu prices. Could we really afford all this?

"As I was so politely told buy the cashier, this isn't the Ritz, darling. So don't you worry. We won't be breaking the bank. And every penny is well spent if it's going towards making your birthday one to remember." Freddie assured me. "Besides, Ray promised us a big fat check for our participation in the naked photoshoot that we—In the name of Beelzebub, what the fuck are those devilish things?" He finally noticed the animatronics.

"Apparently they're supposed to put on a show, but they've been discontinued for causing kids to have nightmares." Brian explained.

"Lovely." Freddie remarked sarcastically. "I feel like they want to feast on my soul. I would not want to work here after hours. Could you imagine how terrifying it must be for a security guard? The poor bloke is here all alone at night with these things. They should raise his pay."

The thought sent shivers down my spine. I didn't want to imagine that. Freddie picked up on my fear and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, Deaky. They're not real. They can't hurt you. They're not even turned on."

"Do either of you know where Roger is? I should probably go find him." Brian said.

"Yes, I'm sure you're very concerned about his whereabouts and you're not just looking for an excuse to get away from those things." Freddie laughed.

"You know on second thought, I think I'll go with you, Brimi." I said, rising from my seat faster than you could say killer queen.

"Wait, don't leave me here alone with these monsters!" Freddie cried.

"Come with us." I urged.

"I can't. I have to stay here so they know which table to bring the food to." He pouted. Freddie reached for my hand trying to pull back down into my seat. "You'll be fine." I said using his own words against him. "They're not real. They can't hurt you. They're not even turned on." 

Brian and I returned to the race car simulator to look for Roger, but he wasn't there anymore. A little girl was playing in his place. "Where else could he have gone?" Brian wondered.

"Oh God! What if the animatronics got him?" I yelped. On second thought, maybe it was a bad idea leaving Freddie back there with them. What if they came for the muse next?

"John, calm down. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Maybe I can finally put my hunting skills to good use." Brian said.

We checked every machine in search of Roger, but the blonde just wasn't turning up. Finally, I entered the play area, feeling ridiculously oversized surrounded by a hoard of screaming children. Why would Roger ever be in here? I was about to turn back to the arcade, but a rather rambunctious child banging against the inside of the play tube got my attention. "Deaky!" The voice was muffled, but it was no child calling for me: It was Roger!

"Roger?" I shouted up at the fluorescent tube in the sky. "What are you doing in there?"

"H-Help!" He banged against the plastic one more time before going quiet, and I got scared. This was more than just silly Roger getting stuck in the tube. He sounded like he was in big trouble. "Hang on!" I hollered, "I'm getting Brian!"

I rushed to go find Brian. When I spotted him, I dragged him over to the play area explaining the situation as best as I could. "Slow down. Tell me again. Where's Roger?"

I pointed up at the tube and Brian only smirked and shook his head. "That idiot. Did he get himself trapped in there? What am I ever going to do with him?"

"Bri, this is serious. I think something bad happened." I said.

"Roggie?" Brian shouted, "Are you in there?" No response. I began to panic. There was no way we could reach Roger to find out what was wrong with him. Maybe Freddie could fit...Oh wait a minute. The children were focused on playing, so they hardly noticed when I made myself smaller so I could more comfortably climb through the tubes.

"Be careful." Brian said as I ascended up into the tunnel.

"Roger?" I called, my voice echoing across the tight space. In the distance, I could hear kids screaming and laughing, but Roger still wasn't responding. "Roger, this isn't funny!" I shouted.

I continued to crawl through the narrow area, ignoring the pungent odor that no amount of cleaning chemicals could cover up. Why did so many kids have to puke in here? At long last, I nearly tripped over the blue tail that blocked the way. Roger was lying on his back in his true form. He eyes were wide open, but they were as lifeless as the animatronics. His face was a combination of a pale milky white and deep blue. Poor thing must have suffocated in here.

"Shit!" I cried. "No! No! You're okay." I wiped back my tears, and reached into my pocket taking out the bottle of magic suppressants. "Roger, you just need to swallow one of these and then you'll be able to breathe again. Alright?"

I forced open his mouth, and bent his head back so the pill would go down. Then I prayed that the magic would work. "Roger, please!" I sobbed. "Come on! Please! Don't leave us. We love you. Freddie and I wouldn't know what to do without you and Brian...Oh God! Don't do this to Brian. Don't make me come out there and have to break his heart by telling him that..."

"D-Deaky?" Roger choked gasping for air. Laughing I pulled him into a hug, noticing that his blue fin was replaced by a pair of legs in tight fitting jeans. "You're okay!" I squealed. "Oh thank God!" 

"Y-You're...so cute an tiny." He remarked. "What happened to you?"

"I had to make myself smaller so I could fit in here to get to you." I explained. "You barely fit in here yourself. What did you do?"

"It wasn't my fault." Roger insisted. He tried to sit up, but he banged his against the top of the tube. "I was playing the car game and this little girl wanted to play after me and got impatient and threw her water at me...I panicked and ran into the tube to hide before I could transform back into my true form. I really thought I was going to die in here, but then you came to my rescue.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” I said, hugging him again. “You really scared me, Roggie.”

“I scared me too. Now let’s get out of here.”

For Roger, it was a much tighter squeeze, but I was easily able to make my way back out of the tunnel and join Brian on the other side. Roger followed soon after, leaping into Brian’s arms. “Brimi! I was afraid I’d never see you again!”

“Oh, honey, are you okay? What happened? Don’t leave my sight ever again!” 

"I'm okay all thanks to the birthday boy!" Roger applauded me and proceeded to explain how I had swept in just in time to save him from impending doom.

I really wasn’t used to playing hero, so I put my head down humbly as Brian thanked me profusely for saving his soulmate. I returned to my normal size and took a pill to rid my merged muse and shapeshifter scent. Then the three of us returned to the horrifying animatronics. I hoped we could just have a fun rest of the day without anymore scares, but I was wrong.

“Where’s Freddie?” I asked anxiously. The table where we left him sitting at was now abandoned. There was no sign of my husband aside from the homemade ring on my finger. The only trace of life from the otherwise empty portion of the building were the four empty beer mugs and food on the table.

“Ah man! Someone drank all of our beer.” Roger complained. “I bet it was one of those motherfuckers!” He pointed to the animatronics. “My God! They’re even uglier than Prenter.”

“Shh! Don’t anger them.” I hissed. The center animatronic, which was supposed to resemble the cute mouse mascot ChuckECheese but instead looked like a blood thirsty demon, twitched its head slightly. Roger and I both screamed as the stage was suddenly lit up by an eerie glow.

“Someone must have turned them back on.” Brian said. “Relax, they’re not real.”

‘That’s what you think.’ The character spoke in a demonic robotic voice. I broke into a silent sob, praying for the part when I woke up from this nightmare. Soon I’d open my eyes and I’d be in bed next to Freddie.

“T-That could be part of the recording?” Brian reasoned, his calm facade breaking.

‘If this is a recording, then how would I know your name, Brian May?’

Roger jumped in front of Brian protectively. “I don’t know what you want, but you stay the hell away from Brimi or I’ll kill you!”

‘You can’t kill me. I am immortal. I have inside me blood of kings. I have no rival, no man can be my equal.’

“W-we…w-won’t fight you, Mr. Cheese…just…please…t-tell us what you did to Freddie.” My voice came out in a frightened squeak.

And then just like that, the glow faded, and the animatronic stopped moving. It was just as lifeless as the others. Freddie stepped out from behind the stage curtain, laughing uncontrollably. I picked up on his combination of muse and shapeshifter scent meaning he had used his magic to prank us.

“Freddie, you son of a bitch!” Roger shouted.

“Calm down, darling! It was just a joke!” He said as he took one of the pills from his pockets to mask his smell. “That’s what you get for abandoning me with these hideous beasts.”

“Freddie, we were saving Roger. He could’ve died.” Brian said coldly.

“Wait…Shit! I didn’t know Roger was in serious danger. I’m sorry. But you’ve got to admit, it was still pretty funny. You should’ve seen the looks on your faces.”

Roger took a chunk of cake with his hands and shoved it into Freddie’s face. “You ass!” He shouted. I couldn’t help it, I just burst into laughter. After the stunt he just pulled, Freddie deserved a face full of birthday cake. “Best birthday present ever!” I exclaimed, licking the frosting off of Freddie’s lips and giving him a kiss.

“As long as you’re having a good time, Deaky.” Freddie sighed as he wiped the rest of the mess away with a napkin.

“You seem pretty energized after using your magic like that.” I noted.

“That’s because I drank four beers before doing it. The alcohol really helps.” Freddie replied.

“Alcohol or not, it was a dumb thing to do, Freddie.” Brian reprimanded. “What if there was a hidden magic detector behind the stage that you set off or something?”

“You’re just upset because I scared you the most by making the animatronic say your name.” Freddie said.

“Want me to put more cake on his face?” Roger leapt to defend Brian.

“How about I push your face into the entire cake, blondie?” Freddie threatened.

Honestly, with all the fighting and childish antics that goes on between us, it was a true miracle that we had a functioning band. But I believed in the power of Queen both on and off stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch the Incredible Shrinking Deaky reference in addition to all the FNAF stuff? Haha! Not gonna lie, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Stay tuned for Queen’s infamous naked photoshoot and some Maylor fluff in the upcoming chapter.


	16. Stolen Maracas Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a typical crazy day in the life of Queen through Roger's eyes. Naked photoshoots, a doctor's appointment, a concert, and a meeting with the Mays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a different kind of chapter as I had a lot of ideas but none were long enough to make a full chapter, so it's more like several snippets put together. Basically it's a day in the life kind of thing. From photoshoots to a doctor's appointment to a concert.
> 
> I know I'm moving through Queen's rise to fame way too quickly for it to make any sense, but I wanna progress the plot, and it's fun to write in a montage sort of way akin to Bohemian Rhapsody. Anyway, please enjoy and feel free to leave lots of comments. Thanks!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains a second hand perspective of a violent panic attack as someone witnessing it from the outside. Reader discretion is advised.

_Roger's POV_

"I really don't see what the big deal is." I said as I walked into the room. The others were dressed in robes, but I was already naked. I winked at the cameraman who was practically drooling over me.

"I love the enthusiasm, darling!" Freddie applauded. "How do you want us to pose? And why isn't Miami here yet?"

"It's not necessary to have a lawyer present for this. I told him to wait outside." Brian said. "He really doesn't need to see any of this."

"It's a photoshoot, darling, the whole bloody world is going to see it!" Freddie exclaimed. Deaky made a strange noise that was combination of wheezing and gagging. "Oh no! Please don't hyperventilate, my love. This is going to be fun!"

As Freddie tried to assuage Deaky and Brian's hesitations about this latest project, the woman from makeup returned to add some more powder to my face. "So I'm working on the makeup on a movie set this afternoon, but I'll be finished by seven." She said.

"Talk to Freddie. He'll probably be in need of a makeup artist for our concert tonight. Brian, John, and I usually don't wear any stage makeup." Although I might reconsider for this venue. It was our biggest gig yet in a concert hall that could seat up to 1000 people, and we were the main act! It certainly wasn't anywhere close to the size of Wembley, but it was still much bigger than the nightclubs we'd been touring which could only seat a few hundred at most. According to Freddie, without proper stage makeup, the lights could overpower your face and make you look pale. Brian and Deaky still said no, but I was leaning toward experimenting with makeup.

"So what are you doing after the concert?" The makeup artist asked.

"Brian said he's going to introduce me to his parents." I stated, but then I noticed the look the woman was giving me. "Wait...are you trying to ask me out?"

I should have seen this one coming. Ray insisted that we cover up our soul marks so we could be more marketable in the photoshoot. Apparently it was common place in the acting and modeling industry, more so for women than men, but it seemed like we were being equally sexualized. My hand looked so blank without the siren mark and Brian's name.

"Took you long enough to catch on. What do you say, hot stuff?" The woman drawled.

"I say I have a soulmate, and he's right over there. So fuck off." I politely told her.

"Oh!" She gasped. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't see a soul mark so I just assumed that you...You know you should really exchange vows and get your scents merged if you don't want this to happen again. A good looking rockstar like you might get hit on a lot. I'm surprised you're not used to it."

"You should mind your own business!" I shouted. "I don't need any more face powder, so leave me alone!"

Alerted by the commotion, Brian came to my side. "Is there a problem here?"

"No. She was just leaving." I said coldly.

"You're one lucky hunter." The woman laughed. "What a catch!" She winked at me and walked away.

"What happened?" Brian asked.

"Nothing." I shrugged it off. "Why is your robe still on? Are we doing this or not?"

***

"I think they turned out magnificently!" Freddie exclaimed as we examined the photos through the camera. "The goal was achieved." I agreed. "We look like the sexiest band out there!"

"Well I don't look as bad as I thought I would." Brian said.

"I'm just glad it's over with." Deaky remarked wrapping his arms around himself as if he needed more protection on top of the robe he was wearing. "Why are we still here? Can we go home and get ready for tonight?"

"Of course, darling, but Ray said he wanted to talk to us about something first." Freddie put his arm around John. "I promise we'll go straight home as soon as we're done and we'll cuddle until it's time to leave for the concert."

I looked up at Brian. "Can we cuddle when we get home?" The words of the flirtatious makeup artist were still bothering me. I was very happy with Brian, but he was keen on taking things somewhat slow. I didn't know if we'd ever reach the point where we'd exchange our vows so our scents would merge like Freddie and Deaky. The closest thing I could get was a long cuddle that would leave a lingering scent of hunter on me for a while afterwards.

"I'd love to cuddle, Roggie, but I need to practice. You three are all spot on, but my guitar riffs are somewhat shaky. I'll work myself into shape for tonight." Brian said much to my disappointment.

"We've been practicing almost nonstop. I think you sound perfect." I insisted.

"He's right you do sound perfect." Freddie said. "But there's always room for improvements, and as Queen we should strive for a level beyond perfection. So I declare an additional impromptu rehearsal when we get home. Cuddles can wait. Trust me, Deaky, there is nothing more glorious than post performance cuddles, but they're only worthy if we give the performance of a lifetime."

"As long as I get my cuddles eventually, I'm fine, but it wouldn't hurt to run through the setlist one last time before tonight." John replied.

"Where the hell is Ray?" I tapped my foot impatiently (and because it was super fun to do now that I had one) "The sooner he tells us whatever is he wants to say, the sooner we can get out of here and get to rocking and cuddling."

As if on cue, Ray walked into the room. Miami peered his head in the doorway to confirm that we were all dressed before he joined us as well.

"There you are, darlings!" Freddie welcomed them. "Can we make this quick? We all have places we'd rather be right now."

"I'll make this quick." Ray said. "The four of you need to get your shots so you're cleared to travel across the civilization for the upcoming tour."

"Shots?" Freddie's confidence slipped and he stepped back, quivering slightly. I also hated needles and shots, but I had too much pride to show my fear, so I stood tall with a poker face.

"Now I was going through some of your paperwork, and I found that Mr. Taylor's medical records were completely nonexistent." Ray said putting the spotlight on me. "Mr. Beach claims they're all filed with him. Is this correct?"

I glanced at Miami. "T-that's true." I lied. The truth was that this was an oversight we must have missed. Brian squeezed my hand reassuringly as if to apologize for forgetting to forge my human medical records. Why was Miami covering for me?

"See, I told you. My client is not hiding a thing." Miami said firmly. "This witch hunt is getting ridiculous, Foster! I'll have Roger's medical records faxed to you first thing tomorrow morning completely updated with the shots that the boys will be getting."

"Shots?" Freddie repeated, his normally olive face now pale as mine.

"It's standard procedure to get vaccinated weeks before travel to give you immunity for when you cross the bridge overlooking the outskirts. Have you never traveled between civilization checkpoints before?" Ray demanded.

"None of us have ever traveled before." Brian spoke for us. "We've lived relatively simple lives up until this point. This is our first big break, so we're still new at certain things."

Ray raised an eyebrow at Brian. "I'm surprised that you're unfamiliar with the vaccines. Aren't hunters mandated to take theirs biannually so they're fully immunized in the outskirts?"

"I stopped getting immunized when I dropped out of hunting school. I don't travel to the outskirts. I'm not a traditional hunter." He said.

"Well you're all very lucky that you never contracted the magic flu or any other sort of diseases that those conniving bastards fester. You won't be allowed to go on your upcoming tour unless you're all immunized by the end of the day. Not my rules, it's the transportation law of the civilization. And I expect Mr. Taylor's full medical history faxed to me ASAP."

"I'm on it." Miami said as I tried to comprehend what had just happened. Freddie was on the verge of tears and I could tell Deaky was rattled as well. Brian wrapped his arms around me consolingly. "You'll be alright, Roggie." He whispered. "We'll get this sorted out."

"So I typically don't ask any questions in these types of scenarios." Miami said. Then he lowered his voice. "But I will tell you that my most successful clients may or may not be undercover."

"We could always use another ally." Deaky said but Brian shushed him.

"It's okay." Miami said. "I want you four to focus on making music and nothing else. I'll stop Foster from getting suspicious. Roger has a perfectly normal medical history that no one will look at twice, and the file will be on Foster's desk by tomorrow morning."

"You're a lifesaver, Miami!" I squealed.

"I don't see magic. I see talent." He replied. "Good luck at the concert tonight, boys! I'm sure you'll do great as always."

"B-But we won't...I-I can't sing after getting a shot...Please no more shots." Freddie sobbed.

I had never seen the frontman this vulnerable, especially not in public, and it scared me. Brian and I were quick to join John in a protective embrace around a trembling Freddie. I panicked when I breathed in his newly restored muse shapeshifter scent. Freddie was so freaked out that he triggered a reversal in the magic suppressants. But that was the least of our concerns right now. Seeing Freddie whimper and bawl like this broke my heart. I wanted the flirty and audacious muse that we all know and love back. This cowering form was unbecoming of him.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about the shots as it is standard procedure and mandated by law. I've never seen anyone get exposed through a vaccination. It's completely harmless to hunters and magical creatures alike." Miami said gently. "Nothing more than a traditional flu shot."

I cringed at the thought of going through another sea sniffles vaccination. I had to get one every single year when the season rolled around, and I still dreaded it just as much as I had when I was a hatchling. I assumed this shot would be similar to that one.

"I'll um leave you be." Miami said slowly stepping out of the room. "Feel better, Freddie."

"Freddie, it's really no big deal." Brian said softly. "It's just a little prick. It only hurts for a second."

"...N-No more!" Freddie choked, violently flailing against our embraces. "Please...Let me rest! No more shots!" It took all three of us to hold him down. "STOP!" He wailed. "Delilah, help me! Darling, please! DELILAH!"

"Freddie, sweetheart, we're not going to hurt you. We love you." Deaky said. "You're safe with us."

"No please!" Freddie kicked against me. "I don't want to die!" He shouted. "I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!"

The three of us exchanged worrisome glances. I really didn't know what to do to get poor Freddie out of this trance. It was so upsetting to watch my best friend in distress like this and not be able to do anything about it. So I turned to Brian for help. "Brimi, do something!" I cried.

_"In the year of '39 assembled here the volunteers_

_In the days when lands were few_

_Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn_

_The sweetest sight ever seen_

_And the night followed day_

_And the story tellers say_

_That the score brave souls inside_

_For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas_

_Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried..."_

Freddie relaxed in our arms, his breathing steadied as Brian sang calmly and beautifully. It was working!

I joined in on the chorus harmonizing with a high pitch, and Deaky hummed along as well.

_"...Don't you hear my call though you're many years away_

_Don't you hear me calling you_

_Write your letters in the sand_

_For the day I take your hand_

_In the land that our grandchildren knew."_

"That's very beautiful, darling." Freddie sniffled.

"You feeling better?" I asked as Deaky wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I-I just...well the last time I got a shot in the lab, it nearly killed me. Paul promised me no more shots, and I took that to heart when I left that part of my life behind." He sighed. "I don't know if I can go through with this, darlings. Just the mention of getting another shot drove me stone cold crazy. What if I have another panic attack?"

"But we'll all be getting shots together." Brian reminded him. "Does that make it just a little bit better?"

"We can bring the Delilah plushie, and I'll hold your hand the entire time." Deaky said.

"We can have a screaming contest. See who can scream higher when they get their shot." I suggested. "But I'm pretty sure I'll win." I also didn't want them to mock me because I knew I'd be screaming at the top of my lungs involuntarily just at the site of the needle. This would make it seem like I was screaming on purpose to make Freddie feel better.

"If we really can't go on tour without the vaccinations, then I'll manage." Freddie said hesitantly.

"I'm so proud of you!" Deaky exclaimed.

"We'll help you through it." Brian said. "You can do it!"

"Of course I can do it." He said with more confidence. "I'm Freddie fucking Mercury. I can do anything!"

***

"How are you feeling?" I asked, trying to hide the quake in my own voice. There was something very unsettling about waiting rooms. People sitting silently in misery and disappearing when their names were called, never to be seen again. Maybe I was over exaggerating a bit. Still, I couldn't imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't dropped out of dental school. I'd be working in a office similar to this one with a group of people waiting in dreaded anticipation right outside of my doors. Freddie squeezed the Delilah plushie as I sifted through a car magazine trying to take my mind off things. "I'm doing alright." He replied. "How about you, Roggie?" "I'm brilliant as always." I lied.

"Don't worry boys. We're in good hands." Deaky said. "My chemist friend Maxwell works at this clinic and he's the nicest bloke you'll ever meet."

"Yes, but he prescribes magic suppressants. He's not the one who gives out the vaccines. I'm sure they put some sociopath like Bob in charge of that." Freddie gripped the plushie tighter.

"Here, Freddie, take a look at one of the magazines and try not to think about it." Brian put down his own science magazine to find one Freddie would like. I was surprised when Freddie passed on the magazine with a cat on the cover and opted for one featuring beautiful bikini models. "Oooh! Her swimsuit is just divine. I love that color!" Freddie commented completely ignoring the woman's physique.

Soon enough we were called in to see the doctor, insisting that we all go in together. I would probably faint if I had to get vaccinated all by myself. Clare and I had a tradition where we'd distract each other from the needle by shouting obscenities as loud as we could until we got reprimanded. Well, I would shout the true profanities (and get reprimanded), but Clare would yell something like "shiitake mushrooms!" or "son of a barnacle!" I wondered if Brian would be willing to yell a few fake swears in my face while I was getting the shot.

"Hello. My name is Nurse Delilah. I'll be giving you your travel vaccinations today." She said with a sweet smile.

"That name is good luck." Freddie exhaled, still clutching the plushie for dear life.

"I've recently been transferred from the children's clinic, so feel free to let me know if I'm being a little too condescending. For the most part, I've found that my patients enjoy being babied and treated gently especially when they're getting shots." Nurse Delilah explained, and I felt myself calming slightly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "Now, who wants to go first?"

"I'll go." Brian volunteered. "Nothing to be afraid of, Fred. Just watch me and you'll see."

"D-Do you want me to hold your hand?" I nearly jumped into Brian's lap as Nurse Delilah prepared the needle. There went my calming feeling. "Only if you want to, but it's really not necessary, Roger." He said as he rolled up his sleeve.

"Alright. I'm going to clean the area with some rubbing alcohol, so you don't get an infection." Nurse Delilah said as she applied the liquid to the area. I could use some alcohol right now just not the rubbing kind.

"You clean it first?" Freddie asked skeptically. "I've never seen that before. Usually they just stab me with no warning."

"I hope you're joking." Nurse Delilah exclaimed. Freddie shook his head. "Oh you poor dear! You should report your previous doctor or nurse for medical malpractice if that was the case. I pray it wasn't at this clinic."

"No. It wasn't here." Freddie replied. "I think I like it here."

"I told you you would!" Deaky exclaimed. "It's not scary at all."

Well those two were now at ease, and Brian was surprisingly calm despite preparing himself for a shot. What was wrong with me? Why was I so on edge? I shut my eyes tightly as Nurse Delilah counted to three and stabbed Brian. I waited for him to scream or something, but he made no sound.

"See? What did I tell you. I didn't feel a thing. It was no big deal." Brian insisted. "Roger, are you alright?"

I opened my eyes to see Brian standing in front of us showing of his warrior wound covered with a bandage. "You're so brave!" I proclaimed wrapping my arms around him. Brian laughed and kissed the top of my head affectionately.

"You know what I think I'll go next." Freddie volunteered himself. "Brimi's right. It doesn't seem that bad. Will you count me down, darling?"

"Of course." Nurse Delilah assured him. Freddie flinched when she reached for his sleeve. Oh good! I wouldn't be the only one wincing. "Um, other sleeve please, darling." Wait. It had nothing to do with the shot; he was just trying to keep his muse mark covered. Damn it!

"He's superstitious." Deaky covered for Freddie as he went to hold his soulmate's hand. I wondered if Brian would hold my hand with no prompting. I was too embarrassed to ask him.

Once again, I looked away when Nurse Delilah prepared the needle for Freddie's shot. How the hell was I going to my own vaccination when just watching the others was giving me serious anxiety?

"1..2...3!"

"I-Is it over?" Freddie rasped.

"Yes." Deaky confirmed and I opened my eyes as Nurse Delilah applied the bandaid. "You did wonderful, love!" Deaky gave Freddie a chaste kiss blushing slightly.

"Great job!" Nurse Delilah complimented Freddie. "Who's next?"

I made a noise that sounded like a distressed animal and tried to laugh it off so the others wouldn't catch onto to how terrified I was.

"I'll go next." John opted and Freddie grabbed his hand. "Freddie, I think Roger needs more comforting than me right now."

"W-What? No..I'm fine." I lied.

"Roggie, it's okay." Brian said gently. Freddie walked over to me as Deaky got his shot. He handed me the Delilah plushie. "You'll be alright, darling."

"Last but not least." Nurse Delilah said finally after John got his band aid. I forgot how to walk, and my feet refused to move. Shame because I was making such good progress with them too. "Come on, Roger." Brian helped me over to the chair. "Here, you can sit on my lap if that helps." With strong arms, Brian picked me up and placed me on his lap. I felt at home sitting on him like this even though this situation was humiliating.

"Just breath, darling." Freddie whispered. He took one of my hands, and John took the other. None of them laughed or said anything demeaning. They just reassured me that everything would be alright. I stared down at the Delilah plushie as the cold rubbing alcohol was applied to my arm.

"Are you ready?" Nurse Delilah asked.

' _No fucking way!'_ I thought. "Ready Freddie." I replied.

"On three. 1..." I shut my eyes. "...2..." I squeezed Freddie and Deaky's hands so tightly I might have broken their bones. "3!" I felt a soft prick like the tip of a pencil lightly tapping against my skin. "T-That's it?" I wheezed. Nurse Delilah applying the adhesive bandaid actually put more pressure against my skin than the needle itself.

"See, darling!" Freddie exclaimed.

"I'm so proud of you, Roggie!" Brain proclaimed.

"What about me?" Freddie pouted. "Aren't you proud of me, Brimi? This is the first shot I've had since..." He shuddered and trailed off.

"Well, I'm proud of both you." Brian said.

"But you're proud of me more." I said, leaning back to peck his lips.

"Are you two soulmates?" Nurse Delilah inquired. "I smelled those two," She gestured to Freddie and Deaky, "but your scents aren't merged, so I wasn't sure."

"We are." I said. Once again, I was reminded of how far we were from reaching the point of marriage and a true soulmate bond. I knew we'd get there some day and I had forever with Brian, but I was an impatient person by nature.

"Congratulations!" Nurse Delilah proclaimed with a bright smile. "I think you two are adorable!"

I stuck my tongue out at Freddie and Deaky as Nurse Delilah had deemed us cuter than them.

"Thanks I wish more people were as accepting as you." Brian said.

What did that mean? I was looking forward to meeting Brian's parents tonight, but he continually dropped subtle hints that they wouldn't be happy with me. To me it didn't matter what they thought, but I wanted to be enough for Brian.

"I don't care if hunters and humans get together." Nurse Delilah said. "Soulmates are destined for each other regardless. Now you boys take care, and have some lollipops for the road!"

***

"I feel like such a child." John laughed as we left the clinic with our lollipops. "The other day you took me to ChuckECheese and now I get a lollipop after a doctor's appointment. Are we sure I'm 20 and not 10?"

"I'm just glad that bloody vaccination is behind us and we can move forward with our tour and tonight's concert." I said.

"Here's to overcoming our fears." Freddie held up his cherry lollipop.

"What are you talking about? I'm not afraid of anything!" I shouted defiantly.

"Oh hello, Barney." Freddie gasped. "Darling, what are you doing up there on Roger's head?"

I screamed like a madman, running my hands through my blonde hair trying to get rid of that horrid spider. When I saw the other three laughing, I realized that Barney wasn't here.

"You son of a bitch! You made me drop my lollipop." I shouted pointing down to the dropped lime candy.

Freddie jumped out of the way before I could retaliate, so I turned to a more unsuspecting target to get my revenge. I grabbed Brian's banana lollipop from him and stuck it in his hair. I ran screaming as he and Freddie chased me.

"Oh yes we're definitely ten." Deaky laughed as he licked his blueberry lollipop.

***

"Hey, it's a sellout!" Freddie shouted as he prepped himself to go out on stage.  Today Freddie was dressed in a black vest with silver rhinestones and tight black pants. It was actually an understated look for the flamboyant frontman. I might even upstage him in my sparkly black sleeveless shirt. We stood in the wings waiting in anticipation for our cue. I held my drumsticks in one hand and my maracas in the other.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, QUEEN!"

I had never heard an audience scream that loud. Apparently Killer Queen had become an overnight smash hit after our performance on Top of the Pops. Miming our instruments and lip syncing for a camera was enough to earn us a sold out crowd like this. Now we could give our audience a true experience with a  legitimate LIVE performance. I grinned as we walked on stage, catching the eyes of several squealing girls. This was going to be so much fun, a total dream come true! I set my maracas down next to the tambourines by my drum kit for later.

"Hello, my darlings. Thank you all for coming! Are you ready to rock and roll with us? Give us a beat, Rog!"

"Here we go!" I said to myself striking the opening beat to Now I'm Here.

The crowd went wild, and even though I was focused on the rhythm, I could still see them all singing along. They actually bothered to learn the lyrics to our new songs! Sometimes Freddie would even forget the words, but here were our fans, mouthing along perfectly in sync with us. It was a kind of magic.

We went through our set, nailing each and every note as usual, but the energy from the crowd really propelled us further. I could tell Freddie was feeding off of it. Whoever thought muses weren't made to entertain were liars. His voice and persona amplified across the concert hall, getting every single person in the sold out crowd up on their feet. As we finished Flick of the Wrist, Brian, Deaky and I ran offstage for a quick breather. Brian stayed close to the wings with the Red Special so Freddie wouldn't glow when he sang Lily of the Valley on the piano.

"He has them completely captivated." Brian watched in awe as Freddie sat at the piano, singing the sweet short song. "I know." I said. "It's not even a rock song. It's kind of scary how he commands the audience. Imagine if he were to actually use his magic."

When the lights went off, the three of us ran back onstage, and Freddie exited to the wings. Thankfully, even without Freddie, we received a warm welcome back. "ROGER, MARRY MEEE!" A girl shrieked.

I leaned into Brian's microphone, smirking at how pissed off he looked. "I'll consider your offer." I told the stranger and winked into the crowd. Might as well accept a stranger's proposal because my own soulmate wasn't going to pop the question anytime soon.

Brian snatched the microphone back from me, gesturing to my own lying by the drum set. I made a show of bending down to pick up my maracas. The crowd appreciated it, and I got Brian to blush, so mission accomplished. Deaky shyly reached past me to get to the tambourines. He seemed so nervous and out of place without Freddie. Then again, maybe it was because he put his bass down. Speaking of which, Brian set down the Red Special and picked up an acoustic guitar.

"What did you think of Freddie? Give it up for our amazing frontman, ladies and gentlemen! He'll be back in just a moment, but right now we've got a special treat for you. I'm going to play an acoustic. Joining me on the tambourine is John Deacon. Also joining me on the great sounding maracas for his debut in front of the drums for once is Roger Taylor!"

"I WOULD DIE FOR YOU ROGER!!!!" Probably the same girl shouted.

"I'm flattered." I spoke into my own microphone. "But I have a soulmate and I'm in love with his car, so you'll have to get in line."

Brian just shook his head biting down on his lip, no doubt stifling laughter. "On with it." He said, strumming the chords to 39.

After the first harmony on the chorus, that same desperate girl shouted "I LOVE YOU ROGER!" over my falsetto. I choked back on my laughter and focused on the bridge. My solo needed serious attention. I was surprised Brian was letting me do this without his Red Special to block my powers. ' _Don't siren the audience. Don't siren the audience!'_ I repeatedly told myself as I crooned out my high notes, " _AAAAH...AAAAH..."_ "ROGER, I LOVE YOU!" She shouted again. " _AAAAH...AAA—"_ Brian stopped playing for a moment and caught me off guard. He grabbed me, abruptly smashed our lips together, and then continued as if nothing had happened. Deaky went on with his tambourine and dance moves, but I was stunned. Did I just siren Brian? I promised him I wouldn't because I wanted our love to be real.

"... _In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue_ _._ _The volunteers came home that day..."_ Brian casually went on with the next verse.

I somehow made it through the rest of the song without messing up and we earned a boisterous applause. Surprisingly, the crazy girl was no longer shouting for my affections. It was a shame really because I found her to be rather amusing and enjoyed humoring her and Brian. Right now though all I could think about was that sudden kiss. It was so unlike Brian to do something so spontaneous like that on stage for everyone to see. I must have coerced him with my siren call.

As Brian went to receive the Red Special, Freddie ran back onstage now sporting one of his leotards. This one was a completely shimmering silver. "Did you miss me, darlings?" He proclaimed. I returned to my spot behind the drums, prepping myself for our finale: Killer Queen followed by an encore of Liar. Then Freddie did something rather unexpected. Well it was expected for him to do the unexpected so I shouldn't say that. He grabbed my maracas that I had placed down by my drum set and tossed them into the audience. Why the hell would he do that? It took me hours to steal them! Did he have no respect for me or those great sounding maracas at all? "That's how much I missed you while I was having an outfit upgrade. I missed you enough to give away my maracas. Now who wants to give me a little rattle like you would a maraca?" Those were  _my_ maracas, not his! Oh that rotter, Freddie!

***

"Are you sure they'll like me?" I asked tentatively. I thought of how dismissive my parents had been of Brian. Would my meeting with his parents end any better?

"What's not to like?" He reassured me planting a kiss on my head. "Not to put too much pressure on you, but I did promise them that they'd meet you tonight. I don't want them to think that I was lying about finding my soulmate to get out of the hunter gathering."

Well it couldn't be any worse than getting a shot or losing my maracas. All in all, I wasn't having that bad of a day despite those unfortunate occurrences. Maybe things would get better and this meeting would work out for the best. Besides meeting the in-laws was a serious step in any relationship. A proposal could be closer than I thought. I just couldn't do anything dumb for once.

We met up with the older hunter couple who were waiting for us in a secluded area backstage. They looked a lot like Brian. He shared many features with his father including his nose and eyes, but his signature curls resembled his mother's hair. Interesting...

"Oh, Brian, you were brilliant!" Mrs. May exclaimed as she pulled her son into a hug. "You blew our expectations out of the water!" Mr. May applauded. "What you four have is truly something special. Keep up the good work, my boy. I guarantee you and Queen are going places!"

"Thanks." Brian said with a humble smile.

"And you must be Roger." Mrs. May addressed me. "Oh, honey, you are so much cuter than I imagined you to be." I stiffened when she gave me a big bear hug like she had Brian. "Is my son treating you well enough?"

"Mom!" Brian protested.

"He treats me fine." I wasn't sure what else to say. It was far from the truth as he treated me above and beyond merely "fine", but the answer would satisfy for now.

"It's so good to finally meet you, Roger." Mr. May extended his hand. He gasped and eyes my hand when I reached it out to shake his. Shit! Did he see my siren mark? Did the paint fade?

Much to my relief, he was smiling. "It's true! You have my boy's name written right there on your hand for the world to see!"

Well that was a much more positive reaction to my soul mark than my own father's. I just nodded. "This is wonderful!" Mr. May proclaimed. "I am so happy for the two of you. Congratulations!"

"Um thank you." I said.

"So what was your favorite part of the show?" Brian asked.

"39." The Mays said in unison.

"Huh. Usually people like Liar or Keep Yourself Alive the best." Brian noted. "I'll be sure to tell Freddie that we upstaged him."

"Well we're bias." Mrs. May said.

"Why did Freddie leave the stage for that part?" Mr. May asked curiously.

"To get water and change his outfit. We had our little break when he sang Lily of the Valley, so he needed one as well. The man is only human after all." Brian defended our frontman.

"He certainly sings like a muse." Mr. May said. "Speaking of which, Roger, how did you hit those high notes? That is very impressive stuff."

"I don't know. I was just born with a high range I guess." Also my voice was designed to lure sailors to their watery doom, but my hunter father-in-law did not need to know that.

"You were blessed with a talent. Not only the vocals but those drumming skills as well. Your hand eye is just as good as any hunter!" Mr. May professed.

Wow! My own parents had never given me such heartfelt compliments before. In fact, one night when my father got drunk, he flat out told me that I had no talents and nothing going for me. He had said worse things to me while drunk, but that insult stuck with me the most.

"Thanks, Mr. May. I appreciate that." I stammered.

"Call me Harold."

I turned to Brian. "The H in BHM comes from your dad? How come you never told me you were named after him?" I wanted to know everything about Brian and seeing as I had his name forever inked on me, its origin would be a good place to start.

Brian shrugged. "It never came up."

"Silly Brian probably was embarrassed about his proud hunter heritage." Mrs. May remarked. "He thought we wouldn't approve of you being human. We haven't heard that much about you as a result. In fact, we don't even know how you two met."

' _Brian busted me out of a lab where you happily send people like me.'_ I thought.

"We met at work." Brian was quick on his feet. "The university cosponsored the local dental clinic, and I recruited Roger to work there."

"So you're a dentist?" Harold asked.

"Never got around to working. I didn't take the job offer and chose to peruse music instead." I improvised. "Brian invited me to play in his band and the rest is history."

"And how did you meet Freddie and...sorry, what's your bass player's name again?" Mrs. May asked.

"John. Freddie and John. They're my flatmates and they also worked with me at the university, but we all quit recently because Queen is really taking off." Brian explained.

"All three of you are flatmates? Bloody hell, Brian! That tiny flat is made for two at most." Harold cried.

"Actually there's four of us now that I've found my Roger. It's really not that bad. We're all very close like our own little hunting pack if you will." I could tell that analogy made Brian cringe, but I was just thrilled that he had referred to me as his so bluntly.

"Is this why you haven't been calling us? We told you you're more than welcome to move back in with us. And we're willing to help you out financially." Mrs. May urged.

"Brian is happy with us, Mrs. May, and we all pitch in financially." I said.

"Sweetheart, please call me Mom."

"Mom?" I gasped. Harold didn't ask me to call him Dad yet. This felt too soon.

"Or Ruth, whichever you are more comfortable with, but please no formalities. We're different from most hunters in that way. And if you haven't noticed, Brian is  _very_ different."

"That's a good thing." I said. "Neither of us adhere to tradition, and there's nothing wrong with that."

That was probably the wrong thing to say because the next thing I knew Ruth started crying. I took a step back behind Brian. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend—"

"—Oh, Brian, I've waited for this day to come!" She sobbed. "Every night I prayed for you to find somebody to love who would disregard your strays from hunter tradition. Harold and I feared your soulmate would reject you for not being a true hunter...Sorry to get so emotional."

"That's alright." Brian said, slightly taken aback from her outburst.

"Roger, have you ever attended a hunter gathering before?" Harold asked. "Human companions and soulmates are always welcomed. I think it would be an honor to have you come and represent the May family with us."

I looked at Brian who shook his head vehemently. Ruth caught on. "If our stubborn Brian refuses to come along, then we'll still bring you with us as our guest, Roger. Like Harold said, it would be an honor to have you represent our family."

"I know you mean well, but I don't think the event is best for Roger, or for me for that matter. Every year I went there I was mocked and humiliated for not being a real hunter, and there was nothing for me to eat because the only thing on the menu was meat. That's why I've boycotted it." Brian said.

"Brian, don't you want Roger to know where you came from?" Harold exclaimed. "You were descended from many generations of brave hunters who claimed our land and put the magical creatures back in their place. The civilization is safe from demons and magic thanks to us and our ancestors. That should be celebrated, and even if you haven't adapted to the culture, for one night you should take pride and share it with your soulmate."

"Roger, honey, I'm afraid to ask. Do you eat meat?" Ruth ventured.

"I do." I admitted. I chuckled when my in-laws let out a sigh of relief.

"Your human soulmate is more like a hunter than you, Brian!" Ruth laughed.

"I wish we could stay and chat longer, but we need to find Freddie and John and make sure they haven't gotten themselves into any trouble." Brian said somewhat coldly.

Freddie and Deaky were more than alright having a bit of private time in the dressing room, so I didn't understand what Brian was so concerned about.

"So should I add your names to the list for the May family members attending the hunter gathering?" Ruth asked.

"You know what, Mom, do whatever you want. I don't care." Brian scoffed. "C'mon Roggie." He began to walk away with his back completely turned to me and his parents. He may have told me to come with him but he made no effort to ensure that I follow.

"I honestly don't know what gets into that boy's head at times." Ruth sighed. "Well at least he has you now, Roger. You'll help set him straight."

"I think a girl would've done that. We're gay if you haven't noticed." I tried to lighten the mood. Hopefully I didn't make things worse with that joke.

"And you have a sense of humor! Oh you just keep getting better and better. I hope Brian realizes what he has in you because we sure do. You're more than welcome in the May household, Roger." She said.

Such a stark contrast to how my parents would likely treat Brian. They didn't even give him a chance. Even though my in-laws were hunters, I did feel somewhat at home with them. I could tell they had good hearts despite the cruel tradition ingrained within their culture and upbringing.

"By the way, Roger, I have a little something for you." Harold said. He reached into his pocket and retrieved two colorful maracas. "I caught them when Freddie threw them into the audience. I figured you'd want 'em back. They're beautiful maracas."

"Thanks, Dad!" I blurted.

"You're welcome, son." He replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I have a lot to say about this chapter.
> 
> First of all, Roger's screaming fangirl in the audience was me. I'm so sorry Brian.
> 
> If you didn't catch, their lollipop flavors were their Hot Space colors:
> 
> Freddie = Cherry red.
> 
> Brian = Banana yellow.
> 
> Roger = Lime green.
> 
> John = Blueberry blue.
> 
> Yes I'm aware that 39 in not on their first three albums, but like I keep saying, none of this is accurate.
> 
> Also I have no idea what Bri's parents are/were (they're probably not still alive 😔) like other than his Dad helping him build the Red Special. I just thought it would be a cute idea if his mom also had curly hair.
> 
> IDK my favorite Queen videos on YouTube are the ones where they act like children and mess around with each other. I hope you liked the chapter with that in mind. It was hard to balance the angst and the silliness. I feel like I struggle with pacing and tone.
> 
> Whatever. I love this story and all the positive feedback I've been receiving. Please keep it up! There's still lots more to come...


	17. Under Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie discovers something new about his magic when he heals Brian a second time.

_Freddie's POV_

_'"You're sending me away to boarding school?" I cried. "Why? Don't you love me? Why would you ever send me so far away?"_

_"Bomi, maybe we should reconsider. Farrokh is still so young. A few more years at home before we send him off into the world might do him well." Mama reasoned with Papa._

_"I know that we are doing what is best, Jer. Farrokh, you are going to boarding school so you can educate yourself and grow up to become a productive member of the community. Don't you want to become a good role model for your little sister?"_

_"My sister isn't even born yet." I retorted. "And when she is born, I won't get to meet her because I'll be so far away. Boarding schools are like prisons. They don't let you leave. I'll never see you again."_

_"Mind your tone, son!" Papa scolded._

_"I think you're being a tad bit dramatic, my love." Mama patted my head. "We would never abandon you like that. We'll write to you weekly, and you can come home for the holidays."_

_"We're only doing this so that you can grow into a well educated and well mannered young man that will make us proud." Papa said._

_"If I don't make you proud now, boarding school won't fix that!" I shouted, storming out of the house. I could hear my parents calling for me, but I didn't care I just got on my bike and rode away. I kept going until my feet grew tired from peddling. I realized that I had reached the large fence blocking us from the outskirts. I had never been this close to the border before, and I was curious. Thousands of ominous warning signs lined the fence._

_"Farrokh, you stay away from that border!" Papa shouted from behind me. "Get back here now!"_

_I didn't want to face the consequences of attempting to run away, but I knew better than to cross into the outskirts. This barrier was put between our civilization and the rest of the world to protect the few magical creatures left. No one ever came back if they went beyond the fence. It would be a more permanent separation from my family than boarding school. I felt so small standing in front of the daunting fence overlooking the massive trees and dark forest._

_Then suddenly out of the shadows, a man came bolting toward me. I cowered back from the fence as he charged at it like a bull. Only the moment his skin came in contact with the wiring, he was catapulted backwards by a brutal force. He landed on his back and appeared to be in pain. Oh dear! Magical creatures were free to come and go as they pleased, but hunters, demons and humans would be stopped by the enchantment behind the fence. What if this intruder wasn't seeking harm? Papa taught me to have good thoughts, good words and good deeds. It was my duty to show some compassion and help this man._

_So tentatively, I put my hand to the fence, and gave it a little push. It nudged open slightly with a creak leaving a space just small enough for a little muse boy to fit through. The moment I stepped foot into the outskirts, the fence shuttered closed behind me. I turned back, now seeing my parents frantically rushing toward me. They were desperately screaming out for me with tears in their eyes. I knew they were mad now, but Papa would be proud when he saw what I was doing. Finally I could gain his approval and maybe I wouldn't have to be sent away to boarding school._

_I gingerly approached the slain man ignoring his pungent hunter scent and accompanying mark on his chest. I sang to him softly allowing my magic to tend to his wounds and ease his pain. It required a lot of energy and I was left feeling dizzy and uncomfortable, but I knew it would be worth it to earn Papa's praise._

_The man grunted and sat up. Before he could thank me, a dart was launched from the trees behind me and hit me in the back. Another hunter was camouflaged into the thicket. "Hey, good shot!" The hunter I rescued praised as I collapsed._

_"Did you see what this little muse is capable of? Probably worth a pretty penny and will only grow in profit when he gets older and more powerful. I say we skip the auction house and cash in at Galileo Labs."_

_The last thing I saw was my parents back on the other side of the fence sobbing...'_

"Freddie!" Deaky shook me awake. "Freddie, wake up! We need you!"

"W-What?" I slurred. "Darling...it's 3:39 in the morning. Not that I don't love waking up to your pretty face, but how do you expect me to look my best without my beauty sleep?"

I acclimated to my return from that miserable nightmare. That was it, nothing more than a bad dream, I assured myself. It couldn't have been real. Even my six year old self was too smart to run off into the outskirts to heal a hunter. How could I leave my parents behind like that after having a petty argument over boarding school of all the things in the world? That was the last memory they had of me. No I wouldn't do that to them. The dream was meaningless. It had to be.

I sighed, staring up at the ceiling where I was greeted by the taunting no smoking sign. I couldn't wait until we moved on to the next location on our tour so I could get the hell out of this bloody madhouse. ' _The only pet friendly hotels I could find adhere to a strict no smoking policy.'_ Miami had explained. ' _So you can have your cat or your cigarettes. It's one or the other, Freddie, not both. Your call. I ran it by the others and they're fine either way.'_ Not even Paul was cruel enough to make me choose between the two. Of course Delilah won in the end, so now I was stuck here craving a cigarette more than sex for once.

"I need a smoke. I'm going downstairs." I yawned. Deaky stepped in front of me blocking my way to the door. "Freddie, no! You need to help Brian!"

"Is he still sick?" I asked. Since we began the tour, Brian hadn't been feeling too well. We all figured it was just exhaustion and sent him to bed early last night.

"He's throwing up in the bathroom. It's really bad. I called for an ambulance. He's all pasty and yellow and completely delirious." John wailed.

"Shit! That poor dear. I'll see what I can do."

I was hoping that Deaky was exaggerating, but it was true. Brian's condition had deteriorated rapidly over night. He was perched over the toilet hurling while Roger held back his curls. His skin and eyes had a clammy yellow appearance . It couldn't be food poisoning otherwise we all would have gotten sick. This was something different. Whenever I used my magic to heal, it was always on something specific. I wasn't sure if I could cure a mysterious ailment.

"Hang in there, darling." I said gently. Brian didn't acknowledge me. Roger sang softly to him choking back on his concerned tears.

"I think it's got something to do with his liver." The siren speculated. "That would make him yellow, right?"

"Hepatitis maybe." I theorized. "But I want to be certain before I use my magic."

"Can you heal him?" Roger cried. "Please, Freddie, please! You need to try. I don't want Brimi in pain like this anymore. I can't stand it!"

I couldn't stand it either. It was worth a shot treating this like I would hepatitis. I had sung away worse diseases, but they had all been diagnosed correctly. Roger and I weren't doctors. Still, I put forth all of my energy into my voice to relieve Brian's symptoms, pushing myself until he stopped wheezing. "That's it, darling." I whispered, trying to keep my eyes open. I fought through my own pain to keep singing, so Brian would be completely cured.

"I owe you again, Fred." Brian murmured as he returned to his senses.

"I'll remember you said that the next time I want us to wear matching costumes..." Now that Brian was sitting up and responding, I allowed myself to relax giving into my lethargy. I let my eyes flutter shut and collapsed onto the cold, hard tile of the bathroom floor.

_'"Oh, you're just a baby." I held the healed kitten in my arms. "Do you have a home, Delilah? Did they take you away from your family like they did to me?"_

_'I never knew my family. I was bred to be used in experiments. So I lived alone in a cage, much smaller than this one actually. Well, maybe that's because mine was kitten sized and yours is muse size. I guess I live here in your muse cage with you now.'  Delilah nuzzled herself against my embrace purring affectionately._

_"Darling, I love the company, but this is no life. You shouldn't be content here. You should roam free on a farm chasing mice with lots of other cats. I promise I'll get you out of here somehow so you can have that life." I told her._

_'And what about you? Will you chase the mice with us?' She purred._

_"Me?" I laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, dear, I'm not a cat. I don't chase mice."_

_'What are you going to spend your time doing on the farm, then? It might get boring.'_

_"I'm not going to the farm." I sighed. "I'll never break free. You'd have a much better chance of escaping than me. I need to accept this as my fate."_

_'Why? That's just dumb.'_  Delilah retorted. _'Don't you want to break free? You must have a family, and on the other side of these walls, they're probably waiting for you with a whole bunch of yarn to play with. It's not fair if I get to escape and you don't.'_

_"I did this to myself, Delilah. I should've listened to my parents and stayed the fuck away from the border. And here I thought boarding school was going to be like prison. What the hell was I thinking?"_

_"Subject has been communicating with the healed feline throughout the night. He mentioned his parents and possibility of escape. Shock treatment for long term memory loss is scheduled to reduce motivation of possible reunion..."_

"NO! Don't fucking shock me again, you son of a bitch! I can't even remember my own last name anymore!" I shot up, dripping with sweat. I let out a sigh of relief when I found myself in a soft and cozy bed. I also didn't see the no smoking sign on the ceiling anymore. It seemed that I was back in Brian's flat.

"Hey there, sleepy head." Deaky entered the room holding a bowl of soup. "I'm glad you're finally awake. Do you think you're well enough to sit up and eat?"

"D-Deaks?" I blinked, pushing myself up against the pillow. "What happened?"

"You saved Brian's life again. He was hospitalized shortly after you passed out. Turns out he made a miraculous recovery from a potentially fatal hepatitis infection. If you hadn't intervened, Freddie, they might've had to amputate his arm."

"Fuck!" I shouted. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Easy. Brian's fine now. Don't worry yourself. You don't need any stress. Healing him took a lot of you. You've been in and out of consciousness for the past couple of hours. So we brought you home and we've been nursing you back to health."

That couldn't be right. We were supposed to be leaving for our next city. There was no way we'd make it tonight's concert if we had backtracked all the way home. "What about the tour?" I questioned.

"We cancelled it." Deaky stated.

"WHAT?" I shrieked.

"Is he awake?" Roger rushed into the room follow by Brian who looked good as new much to my relief. "Oh, Freddie!" The guitarist exclaimed. "I don't know what to say."

"Be careful, dear. According to Delilah, we only get nine lives. You've already used up two of them. I'll save you a third time if I have to, but don't make a habit of dying on us." I replied. "Now why the hell am I in bed and not out on the open road? We have a concert tonight."

"Freddie, we cancelled it." John said again. "Our health and safety always comes first."

"We want to take it easy for the next few days." Brian said. "The doctors suspect I got infected from the shot and since you three also got vaccinated, you may start to develop symptoms as well. Although it is unlikely as the signs would've started already."

"I fucking hate shots." I concluded. Roger nodded in agreement. "We're all disappointed that we had to cut the tour short, but I think we're doing the right thing." He said. "Besides this way Bri and I are in town for the hunter gathering."

"Which we're not going to." Brian said. "I think I'm still too ill to attend."

I rolled my eyes. "I put myself in a coma to save you, darling. Any illness you had is completely gone at this point."

' _Damn it, Freddie!'_ I looked up when Brian directed his thoughts at me. _'Now that we're not on tour and can attend, I need an excuse to get out of it!'_

 _'Then use an excuse that doesn't minimize my healing powers.'_ I thought.

"I'm not trying to minimize your healing powers. I'm indebted to you, Fred." Brian clarified. Wait a minute...

' _Did you just read my mind?'_  I thought.

"Oh my God! I think I did!" He gasped.

"What's going on?" Roger asked cluelessly. "Beats me." Deaky replied.

Well this was different. I had never had a power passed over through healing. Then again, I had never healed the same person twice. ' _Have fun, darling. My mind is pretty fucking filthy.'_ I teased him.

“I think I’ll be blocking you out thank you very much.” Brian said. 

"You're really not much fun, darling." I mocked. "Besides I know what kind of things cross your mind when it comes to Roger."

"I need context." Roger pouted.

"Trust me. You'd rather not hear this stuff." Brian said.

"I think I have a right to know what's going on! Does this have anything to do with the hunter gathering? Why are you so ashamed of bringing me there, Brimi? Your parents loved me, so I see no problem other than you. Are you embarrassed by me or something?"

"No, that's not it at all! I love you. Why would you ever think something like that? I just don't think it's the best idea to introduce my siren soulmate to a room packed with hunters assembled for purpose of celebrating and bragging about their latest kills and captures." Brian explained.

"I agree." I spoke up. "It's just not a very smart thing to do. There's a reason Brian boycotts the event."

"Freddie, stay out of this! It's between me and Brian." Roger shouted.

"You wouldn't be saying that if I had taken your side." I argued.

"I don't think this is something we should be fighting over." Brian said.

"Well you started it!" Roger combatted.

"How the hell did  _I_ start it?"

"I may be on your side, dear, but you did most certainly did start the fight." I reminded him.

' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_ We stopped the escalating quarrel and looked over to Deaky who was playing his bass in the corner.

"That riff is really good!" I exclaimed.

"You wrote that?" Brian asked.

"Oh..." Deaky stopped playing and looked up. "I dunno. I just wanted to drown you guys out. I, for one, am sick of all the fighting we do." ' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_ "Let's just enjoy the music and be happy that we were able to keep ourselves alive this long." ' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_ "I mean we're under so much pressure. It's pushing down on us from everywhere. Ray and the record label, and trying to keep our secret...I don't want to feel that kind of pressure when I'm with you three, but I do if we're going to fight like this." ' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_

"You're absolutely right, darling! I don't want to make you uncomfortable like that. No more fighting. Let's just make music!"

"Brian still started it." Roger said under his breath.

"Let it go, Rog." Brian sighed.

' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_  I watched his fingers strum across the bass and frowned. "Darling, I didn't make you a ring for today. That's inexcusable." Deaky gave me a death glare when I took his hand away from the instrument. "You can get back to your riff in a moment, dear, this is important."

I sang, and another one of my daily diamonds morphed around his ring finger. I gave John's hand a tender kiss before letting him go back to his guitar. Instead his nasty look softened and he paused to examine today's message for him I had inscribed in the ring. ' _In sickness and in health'_

"Freddie, I love it!" Deaky proclaimed. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me until I get you the real ring. Now, carry on, carry on. That riff of yours is really something special. It can't be replicated like my magic rings." I paused and reconsidered that statement. Any piece of music could be sampled or remixed. "Well, if someone were to replicate that riff, it would pale in comparison to your superior version."

"Freddie, stop!" Deaky flushed. "Just eat your soup, alright. It's gonna get cold."

"The soup isn't bad either." I remarked as I took a flavorful spoonful.

"Well I can't take all the credit. It's Brian's recipe." John said and went back to his bass. ' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_

"So did you make enough soup for the rest of us?" Roger asked.

"Darling, Deaky said he was under pressure. Don't make it any worse by making demands. Just let him play out the riff in peace."

"I'm sorry." Deaky looked up from the guitar remorsefully. "I only made enough for Freddie."

"It's okay, dear." I assured him.

"Well I'm hungry." Roger said. "So do you guys want to go get a pizza or something?"

"Sounds good." Brian said.

Deaky put down his bass. "Let's go."

***

I loved those three, but I really hate them sometimes. How they go out for pizza but insist that I stay in bed all alone? I wasn't even sick anymore. I swear if they went back to ChuckECheese and had fun without me, I would murder them and record the next album by myself. I reached for the phone and dialed the number to the flat next door. "Bowie, darling, it's me, Freddie Mercury."

"Freddie! It's been a while. How are you? I heard your tour was cut short because you and Brian fell ill. Are you alright?"

"We're doing much better now. Thank you. Are you busy? You should come over. The boys abandoned me for the time being, so it's just me and Delilah. John came up with this brilliant bass riff and I was thinking of writing a song around it. Do you want to help?"

"Sure. I wasn't up to anything too interesting. I'm on my way." Bowie agreed.

Within a few minutes, there was knock on the door. Eagerly, I answered it, still somewhat starstruck to be met with Ziggy Stardust on the other side of the threshold. "Come in, darling. Come in. Make yourself at home."

' _Hi, Ziggy.'_ Delilah purred and hopped up on the chair next to his. Bowie smiled and pet her. "Such a sweet kitty."

"When she's behaving herself, yes." I agreed. "Can I fetch you a drink? Wine maybe? What would you fancy?"

I got out one of the wine bottles and poured us two glasses. If you had told me a few months ago that I'd be hosting Ziggy Stardust and having wine with him, I would have called you mad. I held up my glass. "To a creative collaboration." We clinked our glasses and sipped.

"So tell me about this new song of yours." Bowie said.

"I don't have much of anything yet. I just thought we could bounce ideas off of each other." I proposed.

"How about we go into separate rooms and sing whatever comes into our heads and then come back and mesh the sounds together." Bowie suggested.

"That's an interesting technique. Let's do it! You can stay in here. I'll go to the bedroom. We'll sing whatever melodies come to mind and then meet back here in about half an hour and see what we've come up with and if we can combine it." I said excitedly.

I went into the bedroom and shut the door. I stood by my piano, but didn't feel the need to play it. Instead I just used my vocals, lighting up the room with my muse glow as I sang out a jumble of gibberish.

_"Mmm num ba de_

_Dum bum ba be_

_Doo buh dum ba beh beh...._

_Um ba ba be_

_Um ba ba be_

_De day da_

_Ee day da, that's okay..."_

Delilah cocked her head to the side as she listened with her ears erect. She was a hard critic to please, but I wasn't vying for her favorable opinion right now. I was only concerned about Bowie. That was when I noticed that the door was ajar. Huh. I thought for sure I had shut it all the way. I reached to close it, but I spotted Bowie in the doorway.

"Have you come up with anything?" I asked.

"It turns out it's pretty easy to write a song if I just stand out here and listen to you." He replied.

"What the fuck?" I snickered.

"Sorry. I won't make you do the whole thing by yourself. I'll put in some work as well. I was just admiring what you came up with. I don't think I've ever heard a muse sing before to be honest. It's quite a treat." Bowie said.

' _Wow! Ziggy's a fan of you, Freddie.'_ Delilah exclaimed. ' _You should be very proud of yourself.'_

Oh I was. I couldn't be more pleased. But this song wouldn't get written if Bowie spent his time marveling over my work. "How about you sing something and I treat myself to your lovely voice?"

***

_"...Day day de mm hm_

_Da da da ba ba_

_Okay_

_Chipping around, kick my brains around the floor_

_These are the days it never rains but it pours_

_Ee do ba be_

_Ee da ba ba ba_

_Um bo bo_

_Be lap_

_People on streets_

_Ee da de da de_

_People on streets_

_Ee da de da de da de da_

_It's the terror of knowing what the world is about_

_Watching some good friends screaming_

_'Let me out'_

_Pray tomorrow gets me higher, high_

_Pressure on people, people on streets..."_

"What in the world is going on?" Brian entered the flat to find me and Bowie singing our hearts out.

"Do you like our new song, darling?" I asked.

"We're calling it People on the Streets." Bowie announced.

"How come  _we_ weren't a part of this collaboration?" Roger complained.

"How come  _we_ weren't invited to your pizza party?" I countered.

"But we brought you back a slice." Roger said as if that justified leaving me back.

"Deaky, darling, we're going to build the song around your riff. Can you please it for us again, please?"

John stared blankly back at me. "What riff?" Was he joking? Oh shit! No, he wasn't. He forgot the riff! No! All this was for nothing. I completely embarrassed myself in front of Bowie. We couldn't have a song without that riff.

' _Oh no! Freddie's upset with me! I wish I could remember what I was playing earlier, but I can't. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I don't want Freddie to be mad. What am I going to do?'_ Damn it! Why was he so cute? I would get mad at Roger for this kind of thing, but never Deaky. He was too sweet to hold a grudge against. I nearly melted when he squeaked, "I'm sorry. I just don't remember." Poor thing was nearly on the verge of tears.

"Oh honey, no, no! It's okay." I wrapped my arms around him. "Shh. Shh. It's alright, my love. We can recreate it. Um..." I struggled to recall the notes he was playing earlier. "Brian, you must remember it, right?"

"You would get mad at Roger and not Deaky?" Brian blurted. "Why would you hold that double standard, Freddie? Besides, Roger wouldn't go and forget something he wrote in the first place."

"That was uncalled for." I snapped. ' _Didn't you say you were going to block me out anyway?'_

"Hey guys, I think I remember it!" Roger announced. He picked up Deaky's bass. "Did it go like this?" ' _Ding, ding, ding, da da, ding, ding...'_

"Yes!" John's face lit up. "Yes, that's it! Roger, you got it!" 

"Good job, Roggie!" Brian applauded. "You saved the song."

"He saved the song  _with_  Deaky's riff." I insisted. 

"You two fighting over who has the better boyfriend is so cute." Roger remarked. "Oh and Brian wins by the way." 

"Agree to disagree, but please just no more fighting." John begged. 

"Alright." Brian said. "Now let's work on this song." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IDK how to end this chapter. Yeah it was a bit slow and kind of short when compared to the other chapters, but whatever. Originally this was supposed to be a chapter about Freddie's backstory and Brian getting sick on tour, but I was listening to Under Pressure and felt like writing this. Fun fact: Bowie originally wanted to call the song People on the Streets. Next chapter is going to be the hunter gathering! And later the boys will be going to Ridge Farm. Stay tuned!


	18. Light Another Cigarette and Let Yourself Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian is a mother hen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thanks for over 4000 hits guys. You rock and I can’t thank you enough! Here is the highly anticipated hunter gathering chapter which will have everything you could ever want: fluff, angst, humor, and an MCU reference! Enjoy!

_Brian's POV_

"Here?" I cried, "You're coming here?"

"Yes, honey. We'll be there to pick you and Roger up at 6." Mom confirmed.

"Why?" I tried to be respectful, but failed. I really didn't want my hunter parents to show up at our flat with a strong scent of muse, shapeshifter, and siren diffused throughout. "We can drive ourselves, and it doesn't even start until 9."

"We haven't been to your flat since you moved in there. We just want to make sure that you haven't burned the place down." Dad joked.

"And this way you can finally introduce us to Freddie and John." Mom said. "We'll have time to talk over a cup of tea."

"Trust me you don't want to come in. It's rather cramped and messy as it is with the four of us living here." I dissuaded. "And it's such short notice too. We're all out of tea, and I don't think I'll have time to go to the store to pick any up."

"Not a problem. We'll bring the tea." Mom insisted. "See you at six!"

"No, Mom, Dad, you—" They hung up. "Fuck!"

 _'Language, darling!'_ Freddie's inner voice bounced in my head. We respected each other's privacy for the most part, but sometimes Freddie would tease me by shouting something in his mind purposefully so I could hear it. We mainly used our connection if we wanted to talk to each other from different locations and were too lazy to get up and walk over to each other. I looked across the room and met Freddie's smirk.

I didn't have time for this! I needed to magic proof the flat before my parents got here.

"My parents are coming!" I cried running to the medicine cabinet to gather all of the magic suppressants in sight.

"Don't you think you're overreacting?" Roger reasoned. "Your folks are the best, and I'm sure they'll adore Freddie and Deaky. Hell, they might even like me more than my own parents do."

I paused as I reached for the pill bottle. Did Roger really believe that my parents shared a stronger bond with him than his own? Since meeting Roger at the concert, my parents did fawn over him almost obsessively, calling nearly every day and asking to speak to him over me. I honestly hadn't been this tight with my parents since moving out. Our relationship was a bit strained since I separated myself from hunter tradition and expectation. Now, however, it seemed like my parents were genuinely interested in me, and I thanked Roger for that. I really wasn't expecting him of all people to strengthen my ties to my family. It seemed like my sweet siren could do no wrong and every day I found a new reason to love him. Still, my parents were under the impression that Roger was human, and it would be a massive problem if they ever found out the truth.

"I mean it's been months, and I haven't heard from my parents at all." Roger ranted. "Would it kill them to send a seagull? Clare's written to me dozen of times since I left." I smiled to myself when I thought of the look of delight that would light up on Roger's face whenever a seagull would arrive at our doorstep carrying a message in a bottle. Those little spurts of happiness would make my day.

As I continued my quest to remove any trace of magic from the flat before six, I coughed when the strong scent of tobacco entered my nostrils. "Freddie, I've told you hundreds of time to open the bloody window when you—"

John causally blew a puff of smoke from his cigarette in my direction, and I had the sudden urge to snatch the drug from him. He was too innocent to have Freddie's habits rub off on him.

"Ah, little Deaky is all grown up and smoking cigarettes!" Freddie proclaimed. "I'm so proud!"

"You're acting like I've never smoked before." John coughed, turning slightly green. "It's not my first time."

"It's your second time." Freddie concluded. "That's so cute! Hold it in, darling. Wait for a moment or two and then let the smoke out."

"Don't encourage him!" I scolded. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, Deaky, but I suggest you put out that cigarette right the instant." I cringed when I heard my bossy tone. Even though I was clearly in the right, there was a reason the boys jokingly referred to me as "Mom".

"Sex, drugs, and rock and roll." Roger shrugged, taking a cigarette from the bassist. "Might as well get two out of three." He winked at me, implying our lack of a sex life.

"YOU TWO HAVEN'T HAD SEX YET?" Freddie shouted in disbelief.

"Um...That's...classified information." Well now it wasn't because he screamed it out loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. Roger only smirked at me. "Your fault, babe." He whispered. How was it  _my_ fault? True, I never made the move, but that was because I didn't want to make Roger feel uncomfortable. His human form was still so new to him. What if I accidentally hurt him? I wasn't sure how we could do it with him in his true form, and I was way too embarrassed to ask about siren sex. Plus I was a virgin, so I had no experience in the matter both on land and in the sea. What if I wasn't good enough for Roger? I had no clue what I was doing.

"So what the bloody hell do you do at night?" Freddie cried. "I figured you two were busy getting at it now that you keep a pillow and blankets next to the bathtub in there."

Roger's teasing grin faded. "That's the closest we can get to sharing a bed." He stated sadly. I slept in a makeshift bed of blankets and pillows next to the bathtub. We would always fall asleep with Roger's hand hanging over the side of the tub grasping mine. And the first thing I would wake up to in the morning was our hands still linked. I wasn't sure what else we could do to remedy the situation, but I loved Roger too much to let him sleep alone at night or suffocate. So this was the only solution that we both had come to accept.

"It is what it is." Roger said when we were met with sympathetic looks from Freddie and Deaky. He inhaled the smoke from his cigarette. "Oh my God!" He exhaled. "I forgot how much I love smoking. I don't know how the hell Clare convinced me to give it up."

"You can smoke underwater?" I asked skeptically.

"Mhmm with special underwater cigars." Roger replied. "It was great until Clare started guilting me with all that crap about smoking leading to cancer."

"She's not wrong. I'm glad you had someone who had your best interests in mind watching out for you before you met me." I said.

"Now he also has a muse as a best friend." Freddie remarked. "So smoke all you want, darling! I'll sing away the consequences."

Why did I always have to be the responsible one telling the boys no for their own good? I didn't want to be perceived as the bad guy, but someone had to step in and reprimand Freddie for saying something so irresponsible and reckless. I knew I couldn't win this argument. Pick and choose your battles wisely they say. Right now, I had to focus on preparing for my parents' visit.

"Wanna see a trick?" Freddie took two cigarettes and lit them up simultaneously. John and Roger applauded him while I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think I can handle anymore." Deaky coughed after finishing off his first cigarette. "But we have to keep smoking so the smell is strong enough to cover our scents."

"Oh!" I gasped in realization. "Is that why we're all keen on smoking like chimneys all of a sudden?" I breathed in the heavy tobacco which almost masked the combined smell of hunter, siren, muse and shapeshifter. Now I suddenly had admiration for what John had started. "Deaky, you're brilliant!"

"A few more puffs should do the trick." Freddie said, patting John on the back. ' _And thank you for calling my Deaky brilliant because he is. I know smoking makes you uncomfortable and is horrible for your health, but please put up with it just this once.'_

"Okay." I acknowledge his mental pleas aloud. "It is a good plan. I'd rather my parents believe we're heavy smokers than learn the truth. Now make sure you've all taken your suppressants and have pills on hand just in case."

"Bri, relax." Roger begged. "Your parents are the nicest hunters I've ever met, beside you of course. There's nothing to worry about. I think they'll find us endearing. Even if Freddie slips up and talks to Delilah or something minor like that happens."

Oh my God! How could I forget about my mother's cat allergy? What were we going to do about Delilah?

"I'll take care of that." Freddie said. He walked over to the counter where Delilah was resting and picked her up. "So sorry, darling, but Brian's Mom is allergic to cats. If you agree to stay in the other room during her visit, I'll let you nap on my piano just this once."

Freddie laughed at Delilah's sleepy cranky mewling response. "Darling, it is not polite to address someone's mother that way!"

"What did she say?" I wondered.

' _I'll have to edit it. I don't want to call Brian's Mom a bitch...'_ Freddie thought. "Delilah said that she is also allergic to that delightful woman." He said out loud. ' _Hopefully that was inoffensive enough for him. Honestly though it doesn't have the same ring as 'Tell that bitch I'm also allergic to her.' Delilah really is the queen of sass...'_ I blocked the rest out. I wanted our connection to remain on a need to know basis, but sometimes curiosity would kill the cat.

I did begin to calm myself when Delilah was moved to the other room to nap on Freddie's piano, and we cleaned up a bit. Sure, the flat smelled of smoke, but I could always claim we burned something in the kitchen. Roger was looking forward to tonight even though he should be afraid, so why was I fretting like this? As long as he had the suppressants in his system and some emergency pills on his person, none of the hunters would suspect a thing. Why would they believe Roger was any different from the other human guests and soulmates? A hunter's soulmate was almost never a magical creature. It was taboo. Even having a human soulmate was rare. So they wouldn't think that Roger was a siren, and they wouldn't' believe it. Then again, I was the one hunter who stood out for my abnormal behavior, so there would be reason to suspect that...

' _Ding-dong!'_

Freddie kicked off his heels and put down the vacuum cleaner. None of us questioned why he always cleaned in heels, but whenever there was a vacuum in his hand, stilettos on his feet soon followed. He made his way to the door, but I thankfully got there before him to greet my parents. "Mom, Dad! You're here early!" I exclaimed as Freddie intrusively arched his head over my shoulder to get a good look at the couple.

My parents said their brief hellos and entered, shutting the door behind them. Neither said anything about the smell of tobacco but it lingered in the air forming a true elephant in the room.

"I brought the tea!" Mom announced.

"Good!" I forced a smile. We weren't really out of tea, but I couldn't tell Mom I had lied to her.

Dad took one look around the small flat, and the first words out of his mouth were "Where's Roger?"

"I'm right here!" Roger emerged from the bedroom. "Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" Wait did he just call them Mom and Dad? When did that happen? I didn't have time to question it because the next thing I knew, the two were tightly hugging him. Did I get a usual hug hello from them? No, I didn't. Odd.

"How's Daisy?" Roger asked.

"Oh she's wonderful, a true beauty." Mom responded.

What was I missing here? "Who's Daisy?" I asked trying not to sound too nosy.

"We adopted a dog." Dad explained. "You would love her, Brian! I'm surprised Roger didn't tell you."

"I thought you knew already." Roger said with a shrug. "Oh well. You know now."

"Brian, aren't you going to introduce us to your other friends?" Mom pressed, quick to change the subject.

Freddie practically jumped in front of my mother, eager to shake her hand. "Hello, darling, I'm Freddie Mercury. We all love Brimi so much. You did a great job with him, and it seems that he even inherited your hair which is lovely. How do you get it so curly?"

"It's natural." She replied. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you, Freddie."

"You do phenomenal work." Dad said as he shook Freddie's hand. "Your voice is a gift to the world. Thank you for sharing it."

"You give me too much credit, darling." Freddie remarked humbly. "I wouldn't be up on stage doing what I do without your son." He smiled shyly at me with his lips closed. "None of us would be."

Roger grabbed my hand. "It's true." He said. "Brian's the best and Queen wouldn't exist without him!"

"I'm so glad you found such a supportive group of friends." Mom exclaimed. "And on top of it all, they're super talented too."

"You haven't even met our resident dancing queen yet." Freddie interjected. "Deaky, darling, why are you standing so still and quiet in the corner? People will mistake you for a cute lamp post. Come over here and say hello."

"John is not the best with strangers and meeting new people." I whispered to my parents as Freddie dragged an unwilling Deaky to the center of the room where we were all standing. It seemed as if John had reverted back to that fearful cowering boy who I had first met beneath the park bench. He was pale and shaking his head as Freddie coerced him into introducing himself. It had to be a hunter thing, I reasoned. Before me, John's last hunter encounter was with Tim. So I didn't blame him for getting intimidated when two new unknown hunters arrived. Freddie kept his arm firmly around his soulmate. "I've got you, darling. It's alright, my love. I promise they don't bite."

"Fine, I'll talk for you then." Freddie huffed when Deaky remained silent. "Hello, my name is John Richard Deacon, and I was born on August 19th 1951, and I'm an adorable smol bean who must be protected at all costs."

"Freddie!" John squeaked in embarrassment.

"That is so accurate!" Roger laughed.

I couldn't lie, it was pretty accurate, and very cute. I cleared my throat and guided my parents over to the kitchen table. The others followed as I prepared the tea Mom brought us.

"Do you need help, Brian?" John automatically rose to assist me with the kettle on the stove. "No, that's okay." I assured him. "You sit down and relax."

"To be honest, Brian, we were very worried about you when you moved out here on your own. Leaving home ain't easy." Mom said. "But I know you're in good hands now. Thank you boys, for taking care of my son."

"He takes care of us more than we take care of him." Deaky spoke up. I glanced over at him, noticing how his eyes were on the floor. That was how he used to talk to me, and it took months to correct the behavior without him flinching. Eyes on the floor, head down low...

_' "And how should a magical creature address you?" The teacher asked._

_Several hands shot up in the air as I mindlessly doodled a sketch of a badger in my notebook. I knew the answer, but I didn't bother with this indoctrinating bullshit. I knew in my heart that magical creatures should have the same rights as everyone else and be treated as equals._

_"Sir or ma'am."_

_"Correct! And if the creature addresses you otherwise, what do you do?"_

_I gave my badger an accompanying rocket ship in the drawing so he could fly away, far away. I wondered if anyone would notice if I subtly read my astronomy textbook beneath the desk. The heavy book was stored in the bottom of my backpack. If caught, it would be confiscated. Everyone believed I was carrying around a brick in my backpack so I could build up my strength. The brain was the one muscle we weren't encouraged to exercise._

_"You remind them of their rightful place and beat them until they address you respectfully."_

_"Correct again. And can anyone answer this? True or false: A magical creature doesn't have the right to look you in the eye unless you give it permission to do so, and unauthorized eye contact can merit a beating..."'_

"Brian?"

"True!" I blurted.

"Um, I asked how you met John and Freddie." Dad said.

"Oh...Well, John answered the ad I posted on the university social bulletin board asking for a roommate." It was a prepared answer. "We already knew each other because I was the one who interviewed him to work in the engineering department, and we both enjoyed science and music, so it worked out." Deaky nodded, already well versed in the "official" story as we had rehearsed it several times. When it came to Freddie and Roger, I had gotten more lax in my prepared lies, coming up with my meeting with Roger on the spot the day we met at the concert. But my parents had bought that lie. And Deaky's story seemed to have convinced them. That was 2 out of 3. Now I just had to tell them how good of an artist Freddie was in addition to a singer and how he had brought me his portfolio for a job as an art professor and—

"Brian rescued me from a demon who was holding my captive in a tower in the outskirts." Freddie stated casually.

I nearly dropped the teakettle on the floor.  _'What the hell, Freddie?'_  I mentally scolded him. ' _That's not how we met. We met when you came to me looking for a job as an art professor. Stick to the script!'_

"Our Brian?" Mom gasped. Before I could blurt out a coverup lie, my father jumped up onto his feet, and ran over to me, pulling me into a hug. "I knew you had it in you! I'm so proud!" He exclaimed.

' _You're welcome.'_ Freddie thought.

"Um, t-thank you?" Who was I thanking, Dad or Freddie? I wasn't sure at this point. I put down the tea kettle and poured everyone a piping hot cup.

"You went to the outskirts and faced off a demon?" Mom asked in disbelief. "Oh, honey, why didn't we know about this? I would've thrown a party in your honor and invited the whole neighborhood! You must share this story at the gathering tonight!"

"Yes." Dad insisted. "It's something to be very, very proud of. Now tell us all the details."

"I was riding my bike too close to the border." Freddie jumped in before I could say a word. "And I saw a hunter on the other side...I knew the risk of leaving the civilization, but I...I went to try and help him..." This sounded too real to be a fabricated story. The way Freddie choked back on some of his words. He called himself the great pretender, but there were ways to read between the lines and get to the truth. "Um...I couldn't help the hunter, and I was kidnapped by a demon. He held me prisoner in his tower for ten y—days. He said he was waiting for the full moon to kill me because that was when his primal urges were the strongest."

"What a monster." Dad scoffed.

"You poor dear." Mom sighed softly.

"Then one night, Brian showed up and...Well, you can tell the story from here, darling?" ' _Make something up to make you sound heroic. I'm do you a favor. I want your parents to respect you because you deserve to be respected.'_

' _They do respect me!'_ I shot back mentally. Did they? 'Respect' and 'tolerate' are two completely different terms. I felt that even though my parents loved me, they catered to the latter. Unless I joined the family business of going to the outskirts to slay demons and rescue damsels in distress like Freddie, I wouldn't earn their respect. Honestly, my parents' line of work was less contemptible than most hunters, who ventured into the outskirts to kidnap and kill magical creatures. I would much rather rescue humans who strayed from the border for whatever reason and "keep the civilization safe from lurking demons" as they liked to put it. I couldn't bring myself to resort to murder though, not even a demon. Even though Prenter killed me, I wouldn't do the same to him given the chance. The closest I'd get was probably shocking him with my trusted special weapon. Red would never let me down.

"I was in the outskirts looking for a possible safe home for my baby badgers." I explained. "I came across the tower, and heard Freddie's cries for help, so I scaled it, and got him down safely."

"Where was the demon?" Dad interrupted. "I doubt he just let you escape without a fight?"

"Stop being so humble, Brimi. Tell them about how you took your guitar and struck a chord and fried him with it!" Freddie proclaimed. "And he did the same thing when a demoness caught of whiff of our scents and chased us back to the civilization."

" _Two_  demons?" Dad gasped. "Brian, this is...I don't even know what to say! Are you sure you don't want to reenroll in school and give hunting another chance? It was what you were made to do after all."

"And you would work so well in our business. We work to rescue humans who find themselves in a tricky situation like Freddie. The station is understaffed. We get so many calls for hunters to go find loved ones who decided to go to the outskirts." Mom said.

"No!" Freddie said abruptly. "He's needed here with us." ' _Sorry, darling. I didn't think my plan would backfire like this.'_

 _'It's okay. I appreciate that you're trying to help.'_ I replied nonverbally.

"No Brian, no Queen." Roger said, clinging to me rather possessively. "He can't leave us."

"We all quit our day jobs." I clarified being far less dramatic than Freddie and Roger. "We're in this for the long run."

"Well the band is getting very big." Dad acknowledged. "It must be very exciting for you. Killer Queen is on the radio all the time."

"I'm surprised you haven't moved to some place...how should I phrase this, nicer?" Mom remarked. "I mean the royalties for your smash hit song must be piling in. Big rockstars like you shouldn't have to share a flat made for two people."

"We're negotiating with the record label. Our lawyer Miami is trying to get us a better deal. Foster really screwed us over." I explained. I didn't want my parents to fret, but we were currently more broke than we were when we had started out. Cancelling the tour after our health scare didn't do us any favors.

"Thankfully our contract expires after three albums, so for our fourth album, we'll be managing ourselves." Freddie announced. "With the help of our dear, Miami, of course."

"Four albums is rather ambitious." Dad warned. "Do you think you can write a followup as good as Killer Queen?"

"We'll write something even better than Killer Queen!" Roger exclaimed. "Something iconic that people everywhere will blast in their car stereo and sing along to."

"All I can tell you is that the first track I have planned is directed at Ray Foster, and it won't be very nice." Freddie said taking a sip of tea. "But I think our fourth album will be our most successful one yet."

"Whatever you boys put out is pure gold." Mom encouraged.

"And we'll support you through all of your albums." Dad said. "But do keep in mind, Brian, that our business is always there for you as a backup plan if you need it."

"Unless it's Roger, Freddie or John, I don't plan on going on any more rescue missions in the outskirts. I have enough adventure to last me a lifetime just from that one trip." I said. "So I'll stick to writing songs about exploring space instead."

"That's fine, honey, we still love you, but you might not want to announce that so firmly at the hunter gathering." Mom said.

"Stick to talking about the two demons you took down. That is a story that needs to be shared." Dad insisted.

"I think Brian will be too busy showing me off to everyone to talk about himself." Roger said, getting my parents to laugh. If I were to say something that arrogant, they would...Oh it didn't matter. I should just be grateful I had such a lovable soulmate who was so much fun to be around.

***

"No magic detectors?" Roger whispered to me as we entered the gathering hall of the local hunter community center.

We walked right through the doors unguarded, and no one batted an eye. Why would they? The building was filled with hunters. A magical creature would have to be mad to enter of their own free will. Yet, here I was, holding Roger's hand and accompanying him inside.

"Is this your first time in an exclusively hunter neighborhood?" Mom asked. She reached down and gave his hair a ruffle. "You should feel very safe. It's our sacred vow as hunters to protect you against demons and magical creatures. There's no need for magic detectors because we'll know if there's a threat, and we'll take care of it faster than you can say go back to the outskirts."

"You think  _they're_  the threat?" Roger laughed nervously.

"I may not be the most traditional hunter." I said. "But I take that protection vow very seriously. I want to keep you safe. That's my goal for tonight and every night we're together." I hoped that was subtle enough. I couldn't just blatantly tell Roger that I'd make it my priority that he survive the night and walk out of here in one piece. If only he could read my mind like Freddie.

"I don't think I'll ever be leaving your side." Roger replied. "Not tonight, not ever." Oh good, he understood.

"Aren't they perfect!" Mom cooed. I swear she had hearts in her eyes. It was rather embarrassing as it was sweet.

We collected our name tags and went to sit at our assigned table. Roger giggled when he spotted his sticker which read Roger May instead of Taylor.

"I hope you don't mind, dear." Mom said. "When I registered you as our guest, I didn't know your last name. Brian never told me. I just want you to feel at home and be a part of the family."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, Mom! I love being a part of the family." Roger said with a genuine grin. His smile should be illegal. It was too damn beautiful for his own good.

"And we love having you, son!" Dad said.

"What do you think, Brimi?" Roger smoothed the sticker down on his shirt. "Should I legally change my name? I always figured you'd be Brian Taylor, but Roger May works too."

"Is this your first time having this conversation?" Dad asked before I could reply.

"Have you discussed exchanging vows yet?" Mom jumped.

I'd rather we discuss these things in private as it was very personal. Roger didn't know yet, but I did have a proposal planned for him, but it had to be absolutely perfect, and it was going to have to wait until we could afford to move out. I was counting on the success of our next album to give us enough money to rent a flat of our own that we could call home. That would be my wedding gift to Roger. It would be symbolic of the promise of sharing a life together. Nothing else was good enough for him in my opinion.

"It hasn't come up yet." Roger pouted.

"We're getting there." I said gently. I didn't want to give away the surprise, and I didn't want him to build up his expectations knowing that I might not be able to follow through. If our album flopped, then I wouldn't be able to get that flat, and the ring would be out of the question as well. I couldn't just manifest one out of thin our like Freddie unfortunately.

"What are you waiting for, Brian?" Mom cried. "You aren't going to find anyone better than your own soulmate! It's practically a sin not to exchange your vows."

"I think it's better if we wait until we're more financially independent." I stated carefully.

"Do you need money?" Dad asked. "We'll support you if you need it."

Shit! It seemed like I kept putting my foot in my mouth. "No, Dad. We're fine. Forget I said anything."

"Oh it looks like we're sitting with the Tylers!" Mom excitedly waved to the family who was coming to our table. "You remember them, right, Brian? We thought one of the Tyler twins was your soulmate because they both have the initials RMT and have BHM written on their wrists."

"No kidding!" Roger scoffed his eyes widening. He looked down at his own hand where my full name was written for the world to see.

"You're mine." I whispered to him and gave him a reassuring peck on the cheek.

Mr. and Mrs. Tyler arrived to the table first and were very polite. They reintroduced themselves to me because it had been a few years since I last mingled in the hunter community. I put my arm around Roger, and nudged him forward. "I'm sure my mother told you that I found my soulmate."

"The human." Mrs. Tyler acknowledged crudely. I cringed and Roger stiffened beside me.

"The love of my life." I corrected her sharply.

She ignored me and turned to Mom. "Honestly, Ruth, why did you invite your misfit son this year? My daughter Rebecca's soulmate turned out to be a human. Bree Hailey...something with an M, I really don't care. I told her not to bother coming this year if she planned on bringing that human with her."

"Times are different now." Mom said firmly. "We embrace humans."

"No, we  _protect_ them, but we don't breed with them. Thank goodness, it only seems like the same sex couples end up paired with humans, so they can't reproduce." She said. "I'd even accept my daughter's choice to be gay if she were with another huntress, but this is something else entirely!"

"Being gay isn't a choice, soulmates are made for each other no matter what, and there are millions of needy children in the world looking to be adopted into loving homes." I blurted.

"Well you haven't changed at all. You're still the same oddball that you always were." Mrs. Tyler sneered. "Are you still going around spouting your silly little ideas that animals and magical creatures are people too?"

"You need to shut the fuck up!" Roger shouted.

"Excuse me?" She gasped. "Did you just raise your voice at a huntress? Why am I not surprised that Brian hasn't trained you to behave."

"That's because he's my husband, not my pet." I snarled. I was used to the name calling and being chastised for my nonconformist views, but insulting Roger this way had taken things a step too far.

"You were right, Bri." Roger was practically in tears and it made me even angrier. "This was a bad idea, a fucking horrible idea. I wish I had listened to you. Why are you always right?"

"In this case, I wish I wasn't." I sighed, rocking him gently in my arms. "It's okay, honey. We can go home now if you'd like."

"We'll um take you home." Dad said.

"I'm so sorry, Roger." Mom said, glaring at Mrs. Tyler. "I thought our community had moved past this pettiness by I was wrong."

"Leaving so soon?" Mrs. Tyler called to us on our way out.

I turned back and saw the waiters placing down slabs of meat on everyone's plates. Good riddance to the hunter community. 'Who needs you?' I thought.

The car ride back home was dead silent. I didn't know what to say to Roger. Did he even still want to be with me knowing that this was the toxic culture I had been exposed to my entire life?

"On days like today, I'm not proud to be a hunter." Mom admitted softly. "Oh, Roger, I hope you know that we're not all like that awful woman. I never liked her you know."

"It's fine, Mrs. May." Roger said barely above a whisper. "I should have known better. I might be Brian's soulmate, but that doesn't make me one of you."

"It makes you part of the family, and I want you to keep calling me Mom."

"We love you, Roger, human or not." Dad said.

All things considered, I did have very supportive parents at the end of the day. Most hunters would be like Joy (or should I say Joyless) Tyler and shun their child for having a human, or heaven forbid magical creature soulmate. They would never agree to leave a hunter gathering within ten minutes of arriving to make their child feel more comfortable. Even if my parents were doing all of these things for Roger and not for me, I still felt blessed.

"Well I refuse to send you boys home on an empty stomach." Mom said. "Harold, can you pull into that drivethru? Order anything you want. We'll pay."

"No, Mom, you don't have to **—"**

" **—** I insist. This meal is on us and I won't take no for an answer."

Thankfully, it was one of the rare fast food places that had a salad on their menu. So instead of skipping dinner as I had planned to do, I got to enjoy a vegetarian option which wouldn't have been offered at the hunter gathering. Since I was "all skin and bones", my parents demanded I get a side of fries with it. Roger ended up eating most of them for me in addition to his own fries that came with his fried fish sandwich.

"Are you feeling better, honey?" I asked now that our bellies were filled. Roger nodded, but didn't say anything.

When we arrived back at the flat, I braced myself to likely walk in on Freddie and Deaky doing inappropriate things on the couch. What they were really doing was even more surprising.

Delilah was prancing on the tabletop as Freddie and John watched her intently like they would an enticing television series. "Wizard of Oz!" Freddie blurted. Delilah purred and jumped down from the table.

"YES! Score 1 for Mercury!"Freddie fisted his hand in the air.

"How the hell did you get that?" Deaky groaned.

"My turn!" Freddie stood up. He put a hand over his face.

"Mask!" Deaky shouted.

"Meow meow meow meow!"

"That's right, Delilah! It's Phantom of the Opera. That puts you in the lead, darling."

"How am I losing in charades to a cat?" Deaky cried.

Freddie looked up noticing us as we walked through the front door. “Darlings! You’re back so early. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine.” Roger stated coldly. “I’m going to bed.” Going to bed this early was so unlike him. “It’s not even 10 yet. Are you sure?”

“Well you trained me to be an obedient little pet and not stay up too late, didn’t you?” He shouted.

“No!” I cried feeling sick to my stomach at the thought. “Oh, Roggie, no, no, no! I would never ever, ever see you or treat you in that way, and that stupid bitch can go fuck herself for all I care.”

“Language!” Freddie gasped again, covering Deaky’s ears. John removed Freddie’s hands and rolled his eyes.

“I know you don’t see me like that, Brimi, but everyone else does. In a way, I’m glad I went to that bloody party. It just reminded me how much I don’t belong here.”

“You  _do_  belong here!” I insisted, “You belong with me. You belong with Queen.”

“That’s not true!” Roger shouted. “I can barely walk, and I’m always fucking things up for you guys. And our love life is a joke. We can’t even share a bloody bed because we don’t belong together. You’re only with me because you feel sorry for me. Fuck this soulmate bullshit. If we were truly made for each other then I’d be able to spend the night with you properly.”

“I’m with you because I love y—“ He slammed the bathroom door in my face, and all I could hear was the sound of running water on the other side.

“So I take it the gathering went well?” Deaky asked sarcastically.

“Do you need a hug?” Freddie offered.

I shook my head. I collapsed down onto my bed and screamed into my pillow. Roger and I fought all the time, but this was more serious than most of our teasing quarrels. For once Roger was right about quite a few things. The world was against us, and our relationship was doomed to fail because we were made to be worlds apart. The markings on our skin didn’t mean anything. To think I was misguided enough to believe that I could share a happy life with my siren. I guess the saying is true after all, if you love someone, you should let them go.

“Whoever told you that is an idiot.” Freddie said. “You need to fight for your love. You think the world is against you, but it’s only your stubbornness holding you back. Your soul marks are the opposite of meaningless and—“

“—Um.” Deaky interrupted holding something in his hands. My vision was blurred from the tears in my eyes so I couldn’t make it out.

Freddie gasped. “Darling, that’s Delilah’s favorite pillow! What did you do it?”

“I cut it open and took out the fluff.” John replied casually. He set down the flat slit pillow on my bed. “Now if you were to fill it with water, it would hold like a sack or a balloon.” I moved over so Deaky could lie down next to me. He positioned himself so that his neck was situated in the slits of the pillow at angle where it would block the hypothetical water from pouring out. “Roger can sleep like this. It will work.”

He was right. It would work. The solution was so simple. I was surprised I hadn’t thought of it. Leave it to John to solve our problems without even giving it much thought. “This is amazing!” I exclaimed. “Deaky, you brilliant genius! I don’t know how I ever got by without you!”

“Yes we all know he’s the absolute best!” Freddie said. “But I’d prefer you’d compliment and lie in bed with your own soulmate.”

“Oh!” I gasped realizing how this looked. “I didn’t mean—“

Freddie laughed. “I’m kidding, darling.” He picked Deaky up off the bed. “Mine.” He purred possessively. “Freddie put me down!” John protested.

Watching the two giggle and flirt made me want to tend to my own broken heart even more. So I carefully filled the split pillow with water from the sink and gently set it back down on the bed, for now using a cardboard box to keep it from leaking.

I knocked on the door to the bathroom. When I didn’t hear a response, I put my ear to the door. Roger was singing softly to himself a beautiful, but sad sounding tune.

_“…Never wanted to be the boy next door_

_Always thought I'd be something more_

_But it ain't easy for a small town boy_

_It ain't easy at all_

_Thinkin' it right and doin' it wrong_

_It's easier from an arm chair_

_Waves of alternatives wash over my sleepiness_

_Have my eggs poached for breakfast I guess…”_

I cautiously entered the room, and as to be expected, Roger was in the bathtub in his true form. His eyes were puffy from crying, but it hadn’t seemed to impact his singing voice. “I think I'll be Clint Eastwood.” He sniffled to himself almost inaudibly. “Jimi Hendrix he was good. Let’s try William the Conqueror. Now who else do I like…Brian May?” He looked up at me with a tear stained smile that was bittersweet. I crouched down beside him and took his hand.

“I’m sorry.” Roger murmured. “I overreacted, I really did. I want to still be with you, Brimi, and I want to stay here because I love you and I belong with Queen. Even if we can’t share a bed or have sex, I want us to stay together, if you’ll have me.”

“I have a surprise for you.” I said, leaning in to kiss him. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then hold your breath.” I instructed.

Roger sunk his head in the water and took in a deep gulp. Then, I scooped him up out of the tub and carried him over to the bed. I situated him so that his gills were completely submerged in Deaky’s pillow design.

“I-I’m breathing?” Roger gasped staring up at me with wide blue eyes. “Yes, you are.” I confirmed. I was nearly blinded by his all too perfect smile, but the sweet moment soon faded. “Oh no, honey, don’t cry. It’s alright.”

“T-these are happy tears, you idiot!” He sobbed. “Now make my dream come true and lie down next to me.”

I complied, and pulled him into my arms, wrapping the sheets around us. It wasn’t our first time cuddling, but it was our first time doing it with him in his true form, and it would be the first of many nights that we’d fall asleep next to each other in our shared bed. “I love you.” I whispered.

“I love you more.” Roger replied with a kiss.

Before I could tell him that was hardly possible, Freddie and Deaky burst into the room. “I have an announcement to make, darlings!” He paused for dramatic effect.

“Well get on with it.” Roger prompted. “We don’t have all bloody night.”

“While you two were busy not having sex, I was on the phone with Miami. We can get started on our next album after the holidays. There’s a farm on the edge of the border, it’s technically part of the outskirts, so we’ll need to sign a ton of waivers, but we can go record there. Fresh country air, no magic detectors and no limitations. Think of how inspiring that will be!”

“Is it safe?” I asked skeptically. “The magic detectors do keep away the demons.”

“I don’t have to worry about glowing when I record if you’re not in the room with me.” Freddie justified. “We’ll finally be on our own, and we can put caution to the wind. It’s close enough to the magic mines and the base camp guarded by hunters that the demons will be deterred. Plus we can stay at the farm for free. What do we have to lose?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an unconfirmed rumor that at the end of Drowse after Roger says "Now who else do I like" right before the music fades out you can hear him say "Brian May?" I've listened so many times but I can't hear it, but it inspired the end of this chapter! Stay tuned for Ridge Farm!


	19. Save Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys claim they're at Ridge Farm to record an album, but if you ask Delilah, she'll have a different answer for you...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No One:
> 
> My Brain: Delilah deserves a chapter in her POV.
> 
> Me: ...
> 
> My Brain: Oh it's happening, bitch! Get writing!
> 
> Me: But it's the Ridge Farm chapter, cupboards and shenanigans must ensue!
> 
> My Brain: Even better, write it all from Delilah's POV, and we're not getting any sleep until it's written!
> 
> Me:

_Delilah's POV_

I jumped out of the car and stretched, arching my back and sticking my butt in the air. That drive was way too long in my opinion. I stared out at the vast muddy field in front of me. There was nothing but tall grass stretching out for miles and miles. So this was that farm that Freddie promised me. Where were all the mice to chase and the other cats to play with? Why were we here?

"Why are we here?" Roger voiced exactly what was on my mind. "We're in the middle of fucking nowhere. Are you sure Miami gave us the right address?"

"Welcome to the edge of the outskirts, darling." Freddie inhaled a deep breath. "It's quite lovely, isn't it?" I sniffed the air trying figure out why he was so intrigued. It smelled of dandelions of pine. Could I eat those things? If not, I didn't really see the appeal. Although there were many many acres to explore. Perhaps I could find something interesting if I did a little wandering. I never strayed too far from Freddie, but this was the very first time I was given the chance to embrace my true nature as a curious cat.

As the boys argued over the logistics of this arrangement ("This is bollocks, Fred! How can we record an album in a bloody barn?" "The nearest town is ten miles away. We could get murdered by a demon, and our bodies wouldn't be discovered for weeks!"), I scurried through the grass. The mud was oddly squishy against my paws, and the blades of grass tickled my fur. This was very different from the limited environments I had experienced, at least in this life having been confined to a cage or a tower or a flat. In my other lives, I played outdoors and lazed in sunny gardens, but now this was my very first time roaming outside in dewey grass. I meandered somewhat far from the group, but I kept my ears rounded and perked so I could still hear them. Of course they were bickering still.

"Well since you two hate this idea so much, you'll be sleeping in the smaller room in the farmhouse." Freddie declared.

"No, we need the bigger bed 'cause Brian's so tall." Roger cried. "That's true, but there will be  _three_  people in our bed, so we win." Freddie concluded.

"Wait. Three people?" Deaky blurted.

"You, me, and Delilah, of course."

As it always will be. I purred happily to myself and continued on my journey across the field. This was fun! I picked up my pace into a run.

"Speaking of which, where is she? Delilah?" Freddie called. "Where are you? Are you playing hide and seek again? Because now is not the time!"

It was always a good time to play. Challenge accepted! I stopped to mark my territory leaving it behind as a clue, and then I burst into a rampant sprint through the grass. If Freddie wanted to find me, he would have to chase me down.

"Delilah?" Freddie called frantically. Yay! Now I got him running after me. We never had any room to play tag or a running game like this before. There was nothing but wide open skies in front of us now. We were totally free!

"Delilah Bulsara Mercury, you get back here right now, young lady!" Wait, my middle name is Bulsara? Since when did I have a middle name?

A pair of strong hands reached down and scooped me up off the ground. I hissed somewhat playfully. All part of the game. ' _Let me go! I wanna play again!'_ I mewled. ' _Maybe this time, I can chase you!'_

"No, Delilah, we're not playing. You can't run away from me like that. You almost gave me a sheer heart attack." Freddie reprimanded. "Look at you, you got your beautiful coat all muddy, and I know how much you hate taking a bath. Now come on. We need to get back to the farmhouse before Roger claims the bigger room."

' _Then can we play in the farmhouse?'_ I purred eagerly.

"Of course you can, darling, right after your bath. I packed a big ball of yarn just for you, and it's waiting for you to roll all around in it." Freddie replied. Yes! I loved yarn balls. They could entertain me for hours and hours on end. Maybe Freddie would forget about the bath by the time we reached the farmhouse.

"You stick with me, Delilah." He stroked my fur as he carried me through the field. "I'll take care of you. There's no need to go wandering off like that."

I stopped purring. Those words were eerily similar to Paul's. Next Freddie would be telling me that it was dangerous out here and I'd get myself killed on my own.

"It's dangerous out here, and if you're all on your own, you could get yourself into some trouble. I don't want anything to happen to you, my love. What if you go and get yourself killed? How could I ever go on without you?"

_'So stay in this tower for your own fucking good.'_ I concluded. _'Yeah, I think I've heard this speech before.'_

Freddie stopped walking and I knew I had hit a nerve by invoking memories of Paul. "Just be a good kitty and listen to me. Please Delilah. I love you so much." He begged. "I can't lose you."

I knew Freddie had separation anxiety because of all the times the scientists and Paul threatened to take me, his only friend, away. It wasn't an issue I wanted to exploit, but being a good girl was so difficult at times...

' _I promise I'll stay with you and I won't run away again. Now about that yarn ball. Can I still have it?'_

"Of course you can, darling. You can have anything your little heart desires!"

I loved bribery. I'd behave myself and stay with Freddie...for now. I squirmed and peered my head back over Freddie's shoulder to get another look at the world outside. In the far distance, my powerful oval eyes could detect dense forest overlooking the field. That was the outskirts. Even though it was guarded by a tall fence, we were awfully close. I wondered if I could spot our tower from here. Maybe Freddie was right to keep me away. Still, when would I ever get another chance to experience the kind of freedom again? I imagined running through a grassy field or maybe even climbing a tree. There were no bars or walls outside, and that was a rarity in this life.

Back in the farmhouse, I anticipated the promise of that glorious ball of yarn. Only Freddie was distracted by Roger who was jumping on the bed. 

"Get off our bed!" Freddie shouted.

"You mean  _our_ bed." Brian said, laying down a suitcase in the corner of the room. "You weren't here to claim it."

"Deaky is already setting up your stuff in the other room." Roger informed Freddie.

' _Is the yarn ball in the other room?'_ I questioned because I really didn't care about the sleeping arrangements otherwise.

"Fuck you! I was busy saving Delilah. What if she had gotten lost? Or what if she hurt herself? Thanks to me she's safe and sound and never leaving my sight ever again." Freddie pulled me closer. I normally would have purred, but I was getting annoyed.

"You know, Freddie, it's healthy for domesticated cats to go outside from time to time." Brian said. "The patio and deck in the back are enclosed so she'll be safe. I think Delilah would appreciate a bit of fresh air while we get ourselves settled."

' _Have I told you how much I love you, Brimi?'_ I purred.

I scrambled out of Freddie's arms and over to Brian. To make sure I had his full attention, I jumped into his suitcase as he was unpacking. The clothes could wait. I wanted him to pet me now.

"Delilah! You're getting fur and mud all over my clogs!" Brian said this with a smile and anything but an angry tone, so I just purred in response.

"Adorable I know." Freddie said picking me up again despite my protests. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, Brian, but Delilah is a full fledged house cat. The outdoors just aren't for her. She was bred in captivity and spent her entire life with me in a cage followed by a tower. It would be a shock to her system to suddenly let her play outside all by herself. I need to be there with her. Come, darling, I'm going to give you a bath now. Then you can play with your yarn while Deaky rubs your tummy and I sing to you. How does that sound?"

Very tempting. Deaky gave the best tummy rubs. But that stupid bath had to get in the way of everything. Why couldn't I just lick myself clean like I always did? What difference did it make if I was all muddy?

"Freddie, we came here to record an album, not run a cat salon." Roger said.

It was an insult, but if it got me out of taking a bath, I'd thank him.

"That's right." Freddie said, "So I expect you to start working on a new song while I'm gone."

' _Ooh! Write a song about a cat.'_ I suggested.

"I'm afraid Roger is more into dogs. I have a feeling he'll be writing a love song for a certain poodle." Freddie informed me.

' _Yuck! I hate dogs!'_ I hissed.

"Those are some strong words coming from someone who also has feelings for a certain poodle." Freddie laughed.

My eyes darted to Brian who already knew about my little crush. Thankfully, he seemed distracted by something as he mindlessly folded clothes into the drawers. There was no reaction to what Freddie had to say about me liking him.

"That's intense, darling. I like it." Freddie said out of nowhere. He surprisingly put me down and seemed to forget about the bath again. Thank kitty heavens!

Brian looked up. "You think it's good? I've had it in my head since I got sick from the shot. I'm thinking now might be a good opportunity to expand it and see if it's album worthy."

"Write it down." Freddie directed. "Roger, dear, go get your prophet poodle a pen and paper so he can write down his message for the people of the earth."

"What are you talking about?" Roger cried.

"It will make more sense when you hear the song, but Freddie is right. I'm onto something, and I should write it down." Brian said.

"Trust me, Roger, you're going to really like this prophet song that Brian has going on in his head." Freddie remarked. "I for one want to get experimental on this album. I was thinking about writing a sillier song about you two."

_'What about me?'_ I yelped for Freddie's attention. ' _Are you going to write a song about me?'_

"It'll be a fun little tune called Seaside Rendezvous!" He ignored me and continued to explain how he planned to use many different sounds and styles.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were here to record an album and not chase mice and play on the farm. Freddie mentioned something about an opera themed album to me, but I was sold on "Two weeks in a beautiful farm, far away from it all!"  _"You'll have so much more fun coming with us instead of staying back with Mary and Little Dipper._   _No, I simply won't allow us to be apart for that long. You'll be right there by my side the entire time like always."_

Well, now I was bored. I walked away, seeing if Freddie would even notice. He didn't. For all this talk about us never being apart, he sure got distracted easily. I wondered what Deaky was up to. Maybe he was eating cheese on toast, and the cheese would attract some yummy mice.

I nuzzled my way through the door to the other room which was left ajar. It was smaller than Brian and Roger's room, but warmer and cozier, so I wasn't sure why Freddie was complaining. Plus there was a window next to the bed the was wide open with a perfect view of the sunset. I jumped up onto the sill and looked out into the field longingly. I promised Freddie I wouldn't run away again, but could just sneak out for a moment or two. I'd come right back, and he wouldn't even know I was gone.

"Delilah!" Deaky spotted me, and reached out to scratch me behind my ears. I purred lovingly. Freddie was one lucky muse to have this sweetheart as his soulmate. At least some people in this band knew when I was in need of affection. "What did you do, honey? Why are you all muddy? Freddie would never approve of you dirtying your beautiful coat."

' _Freddie can remind me of that when he decides to start paying attention to me again.'_ I replied.

As Deaky pet me, I eyed the room in search of that yarn ball. It had to be around here somewhere.

"Wanna hear a secret, Delilah?"

Oooh! A secret. I hope it was a juicy one because things were getting pretty dull around here. Well, not as dull as they would be if I had stayed back at the flat with Mary, but still, I wanted to have some fun.

"Now, you can't tell Freddie because I want it to be a surprise, but I'm writing him a song." Deaky announced, grinning like it was the greatest secret in the world. Freddie would appreciate it no doubt, but I'd prefer John spend his time rubbing my belly. I flipped over onto my back, hoping he would get the message.

"He's already heard snippets of it here and there in my head and when I hum it to myself, but I think he'll be surprised by the final product." Deaky rambled. I waited patiently for that belly rub.

"I don't want the others to get jealous, but Freddie really is my best friend."

_'Ah that's cute, but everyone knows Freddie is my best friend. You can all fight over that title, but it's mine to claim!'_ I declared.

"I wonder what Mary will think of the song." Deaky sighed. "She thinks she's Freddie's best friend."

_'Mary snuck into the lab and brought us treats and goodies, but I don't think that makes her best friend material. I'm always there for Freddie when he needs me most...which is apparently not now because he's too busy with his stupid seaside song to play with me.'_

"And I don't know if it's rocky enough for Brian and Roger, especially Roger. He might mock me for it being too campy, but I stick by it." Deaky continued. "I  _am_ happy at home because my new home with Freddie is everything I could ask for and more."

It was clear that John was not paying attention to me and was just trying to rationalize his new song. Why was everyone so caught up in the music? I thought we were supposed to get away from it all, like a vacation. Was I missing something here? Well, if the boys weren't holidaying properly, I'd have to show them how it's done. The point of "getting away" is actually getting away.

' _Deaky, tell Freddie that I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself, and I don't need to be on a fucking leash like a dog. I'm going to have some fun exploring and I'll be back later tonight.'_

He just stared back at me blankly, and I knew he couldn't understand a word I was meowing. Whatever. I said it.

Cats always land on their feet or so I was told. I jumped out from the window sill, landing gracefully in the grass. The wide open field awaited me.

"Delilah?" John called from the window above me. I ran from him, getting as far from the farmhouse as I could. "Delilah!" His voice was growing fainter. "Shit! Freddie is going to kill me!" That was the last I heard from him before his voice faded away in the windy distance. I was officially out on my own for the very first time in this life.

I ran freely wherever my paws dared to take me, any way the wind blows. In this case, the wind whisked a sweet feathery scent in my direction and I traveled toward it. I licked my lips eagerly as I approached a family of flocking chickens. Now this was the kind of adventure I was yearning for.

' _Watch out you mothercluckers 'cause I'm coming for you!'_ I shouted as I pounced at the clucking chickens. They dispersed out of the way, scrambling in different directions. Running in circles to chase them down made me dizzy. Eventually, I grew tired and let them escape unruffled. I gathered the left behind feathers with my mouth and built a soft nest in the grass to nap in. The grass was so fluffy beneath my makeshift feather bed, and the setting sun cast a warm glow over me, it was perfect for napping. There could be no harm in closing my eyes for just a few minutes...

When I opened my eyes, the sun was gone. Where'd it go? Oh well. It usually came back after the twinkling moon and stars were done doing their dance in the sky. Brian knew all about how that happened and could explain it better. I preferred the darkness. I could see better at nighttime. In fact, I was easily able to make out a blurring shape rushing toward me. It was large and yellow...a dog? Oh shit! It was the worst thing in the world, an angry dog! I dashed out of the way before the beast could get any closer. It was barking ferociously with a deep gravely growl like a monster. I turned back as I sprinted away meeting its ravenous brown eyes as it chased me down. It was a short coated yellow mutt that was much bigger than me, probably the size of a small horse. I swear it was foaming at the mouth. Fuck! I'm going to get rabies and die. Hopefully my eighth life would have a better ending like my six other lives where I had died peacefully of old age and natural causes. Life seven seemed to be doomed though. I might as well kiss it goodbye because soon I'd be all dead and gone. ' _What did I ever do to you, you big bully?'_ I squealed as the dog gained on me.

At the last second before the vicious creature could attack, I jumped up into the nearest tree and feverishly climbed to the tallest branch where I clung on for dear life. The branch wiggled and shook beneath me. Below I could see the dog on his hind legs, scratching at the tree trunk. He was barking so loudly it was like the horrifying vacuum cleaner only so much worse.

' _Someone help!'_ I shrieked. Could anyone hear me? I was too far from the farmhouse to get the boys' attention, and according to Brian, the nearest town was ten miles from here. The branch was going to snap soon. It couldn't hold my weight. ' _Save me!'_ I screamed. ' _Save me! Saaaave meee!'_

Then suddenly my prayers were answered as a soft meow in the distance caught the attention of the dog. He turned away from the tree and forgot about me. I let out a sigh of relief as the branch at last gave way beneath me and I tumbled down to my feet. Huh. Cats really do always land on their feet. ' _Are you okay?'_ I stiffened and puffed up my fur as a defense tactic when an unfamiliar feline approached me. He was a beautiful cat with a striped grey coat, wide sweet eyes, and adorable little pink nose. A collar with a shiny silver tag hung from his neck. ' _I don't trust dogs, but you can't blame him for getting a little stir crazy. I think this is his first time out of the cage. I escaped about a year ago. How long have you been a free cat?'_

Talk of cages and escaping brought back memories that I'd rather not relive. I had to get back to the farmhouse. Freddie was probably throwing a tantrum missing me. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I did almost die out here.

' _Where are you going?'_ The cat leapt in front of me, blocking me. I hissed at him, and stepped around him. ' _Thanks for the help, but I'm not staying around here long enough to end up back in a cage or attacked by another crazy dog.'_

_'You should come with me.'_ He said.  _'I'm trying to get to the nearest town. If I'm cute enough, a human might adopt me. Besides it's not safe for a little cat like you to journey this close to the outskirts alone. Demons are less likely to attack you if you're traveling in a pair.'_

_'Then how come you're alone?'_ I countered.

' _The other cats I've come across thought there was a tracker in my collar. They didn't want to end up in the breeding lab, so they left me. It's been roughly a year and the lab rats still haven't found me, so I think I'm safe to be around. How did you get your collar off?'_

I twisted my whiskers as I thought back to the night I said goodbye to the cage forever. Of course, the tower wasn't much better, but Freddie would say otherwise.

_'Freddie was lying flat on his back, and I was curled up on his stomach. I purred as my dying muse stroked my fur. He was doing better I had to admit. Even though he was still skeletally skinny, the blotches on his skin were healing, and he had stopped coughing so frequently._

_'Come on, Freddie! You have to sing. You're so close to healing yourself.' I begged. 'I'm not letting you die on me.'_

_The cage door opened and I hissed as Paul entered with blankets and water bottles. I didn't trust him even if he was helping Freddie keep himself alive._

_"Farrokh, are you well enough to travel?"_

_Freddie slowly sat up. "T-Travel? Where? Darling, I haven't left this spot since...I think I was born here. I don't remember." He shut his eyes. "I don't remember my life before this."_

_I hopped off of Freddie's lap and charged at Paul. 'Clearly he's still very sick! So why don't you do us a favor and travel yourself out of here! We don't need your help. Freddie can sing himself healthy without you!'_

_"N-No!" Freddie choked, "Delilah, darling...we need him. Please be nice, dear. He's helping us. Just like Mary."_

_'We haven't heard from Mary in weeks. She probably forgot about us. I'm done trusting people. They suck!'_

_"No." Freddie sighed. "Mary would never forget about us. I'm sure she has her reasons for staying away. Paul, you wouldn't know anything about a girl who comes by here from time to time?"_

_"No. I haven't a clue what you're talking about." Freddie's eyes were still shut so he couldn't see the smirk on Paul's face. Mary had stopped visiting us around the same time that Paul started working here. That was too much of a coincidence. Ignoring my hisses, Paul reached down and put a hand to Freddie's forehead. "Your fever is down. That's good."_

_"Mhmm. I've been able to sing it down thanks to the water you've been giving me. Your the first one the scientists to give a damn about keeping me hydrated. Can't sing very well with a dry and sore throat."_

_"You seem to be doing much better than yesterday." Paul noted._

_'I see right through your disguise.' I growled. 'You're no better than the others.'_

_"Shh. It's okay, Delilah. We can trust him." Freddie reached for me, and I curled up beside him, but I kept my eyes glued on Paul._

_"I can get you out of here, Farrokh." He said. "I think you're healthy enough now. We're leaving tonight."_

_"Don't tease me." Freddie murmured._

_"I'm not a real scientist." Paul announced. "I'm a demon, straight from the outskirts."_

_'I knew it!' I snarled. 'Get the hell away from Freddie, you conniving son of a bitch!'_

_"Let's hear him out, Delilah." Freddie dismissed my concerns. "Obviously, you don't want to kill me otherwise you would've done it already. So why are you interested in me, darling?"_

_"There's a spell powerful enough to temporarily alleviate a demon's urge to kill so I don't have to waste all my precious time hunting and obsessing over murder. The easiest way to cast the spell is through a special song. The only problem is that I don't have a voice powerful enough to wield the spell. In fact, very few creatures in the world are blessed with voices magical enough." He explained. "You are very, very special, Farrokh."_

_I could see where this was going. 'Freddie, no way! Do not make a deal with a demon. No good can come of this!'_

_Freddie ignored me and stared up at Paul. I knew there was nothing I could do to stop this. Freddie was just too desperate and he had no other choice. If he stayed here any longer, he would die. "I-If I sing your special song...will you get me out of here?"_

_"I'll take you to my enchanted tower in the outskirts. I'll keep you safe from the other demons and hunters. I'll give you everything you need. You don't have to worry about anything anymore. All you have to do is sing for me. We can leave tonight if you'd like. What do you say?"_

_Freddie gently nudged me aside and shakily stood up. He gave Paul a hug, looking even more frail in the demon's arms. I shook my head disapprovingly as Freddie burst into tears, crying into Paul's shoulder. "Delilah! We're getting out! I can't believe it!"_

_"Hang on." The demon interrupted his celebratory exclaims. "I can only bring you, Farrokh. The cat will attract too much attention."_

_"NO!" Freddie cried. "Delilah and I are a duo. We can't be separated."_

_'He's choosing me over you, so fuck off!' I hissed._

_"I'm sorry, but it's just too dangerous." Paul showed no remorse. "How do we know that the tag on her collar doesn't have a tracker?"_

_"AAAY-OOH!" Freddie collapsed no sooner had he belted the powerful notes, but the magic vibrated from his voice and the silver tag around my neck exploded into a million little pieces._

_"Waste of such a brilliant voice." Paul scoffed as he unbuckled the collar. He put a blanket around Freddie's unconscious body to keep him warm. "I'll be back tonight to sneak you out of here, and from now on, you only sing for me."_

I blinked finding myself back in the present. The mysterious cat was still awaiting an answer. He was a very handsome cat. Part of me wanted to stay and chat and get to know him a little bit better, but what if there really was a tracker in his collar? Maybe I'd bring him back to Freddie and have the tag destroyed.

_Romeo—Property of Galileo Labs_ was inscribed on the tag. What were the odds that we were bred in the same lab. I purred to myself. Oh Romeo! What a fitting name for my dreamy savior, a true knight in shining armor.

A distracting sound in the distance stole my attention away from Romeo. My ears twitched and I picked up on where it was coming from. Freddie was calling for me. "DELILAH!" He sounded desperate and hurt. I should go back. Romeo scampered away. ' _Quick, let's hide before the lab rats get to us!'_

_'Don't worry, Romeo. Freddie is not one of the lab rats. He's my best friend.'_ I hissed.

Romeo peered out from behind the shrubs where he was hiding. ' _How do you know my name?'_

_'I read it from your collar. I was also bred in Galileo Labs, but when I was a kitten, they transferred me to a different sector to participate in an experiment with a muse.'_ And the rest is history of course.

Romeo looked down at his tag curiously. ' _My name is on my collar?'_

' _Yes, silly.'_ I approached him and put my paw on his tag. ' _Right here it says_ **—**

"DELILAH!" Freddie was hysterical as he dashed over to me and picked me up. "My precious darling. I thought I had lost you forever. Why did you run away, my love?" I couldn't even answer because Freddie was too busy covering my fur in kisses. "Don't you ever leave me again!"

"Did you find her?" John came running, Brian and Roger trailing close behind. I knew it! Now they were  _all_ playing tag with me. Whatever album they planned on recording was secondary. The real reason they came to this farm was for two weeks of non stop fun and games.

' _Watch out!'_ Romeo warned.

My natural instincts were dimmed because I felt safer when Freddie was holding me, so I was unable to anticipate the dumb dog returning. It emerged out of the bushes and charged at us. Romeo cowered behind Freddie's legs.

"Ah, doggie!" Deaky, somehow finding the creature cute, stepped out in front of Freddie before the dog could pounce at us. "Darling," Freddie warned, as he slowly and calmly backed away with me still in his arms, "I don't think that's the best idea."

"Freddie, we learned this lesson with Barney the spider. He may look scary, but he just wants to play and **—** OW!"

Freddie screamed as the dog knocked John to the ground and proceeded to maul him. "Soulmate down! Soulmate down!" Freddie wailed in panic.

It took both Brian and Roger to pull the dog off of poor Deaky as Freddie sobbed. I quivered in Freddie's arms, feeling my heart race.

"Shh. Shh." Brian was miraculously able to calm the dog down and get him to sit. It looked back at Brian and licked him.

"Fuck you, you son of a bitch!" Freddie shouted at the dog. "You don't get to pretend to be all cute and sweet after you attacked my darling Deaky!"

"Freddie, don't blame him. Something must have set him off." Brian argued.

I adjusted myself so that I was up on Freddie's shoulder as he crouched down to comfort Deaky who was a bloody mess. I didn't care what Brian I had to say I totally blamed the dog for this tragedy. "It's okay, my love." Freddie cooed softly, caressing John's bruised cheek. "I'll make it better."

" _Love of my life, you've hurt me..."_  Freddie cleared his throat, holding back a sob. It had been a while since I watched him sing and initiate his magic through an onslaught of tears.

_"...You've broken my heart_

_And now you leave me_

_Love of my life, can't you see?_

_Bring it back, bring it back_

_Don't take it away from me_

_Because you don't know_

_What it means to me..."_

Deaky blinked open his eyes as the blood seeped back into his face and the bruises magically faded away. I hopped down from Freddie's shoulder so I could cuddle myself gently beneath the crook of John's neck. Freddie fell backwards, too weak to support his own weight after using his magic. Much to my surprise as I consoled Deaky, Romeo went to comfort Freddie, nuzzling himself up against Freddie's chest.

' _I wish this muse was my new master.'_ Romeo purred as Freddie shut his eyes. ' _Do you think he'll take me in?'_ When Romeo fanned his tail in front of Freddie's face trying to revive him, I noticed he had a peculiar white crescent shaped marking on his otherwise all grey furred tail. The same marking stood out on my tortoiseshell tail. That could only mean one thing...

' _Romeo, you're my soulmate!'_

I scampered off of Deaky and excitedly stuck my nose in Freddie's face and licked him until he woke up. ' _Freddie! Freddie! I found my soulmate!'_

"Delilah..." Freddie slurred. "I don't know how to tell you this, but cats don't have soulma—" He noticed Romeo and our now intertwined tails. "Hello, darling! Where did you come from?"

' _His name is Romeo and he is the love of my life!'_ I declared.

' _I want my forever home to be with you and Delilah. Will you keep me?'_ Romeo begged.

"Freddie, it's okay." Deaky interrupted. "I'm okay all thanks to you!"

"Brian tamed the dog!" Roger exclaimed as he pet the yellow fluff monster. Romeo and I hissed in unison.

"Easy darlings." Freddie reached for both of us, using one hand to pet me and the other to pet Romeo.

"I told you he was friendly deep down." John insisted. "I'm sure he didn't mean to attack me." I loved him, but he was an idiot.

"Careful, Deaks!" Freddie cried when Deaky joined Brian and Roger in petting the dog. Surprisingly, the dog licked his hand instead of biting it.

' _Freddie, no!'_  I shouted as Freddie crawled over to the dog. ' _That dog is trouble!'_  Romeo agreed with me.

"Now, I don't forgive you for hurting Deaky, and you're not a cat." Freddie said hesitantly as he unhooked the dog's collar and examined the tag. "Rex." He read the name off the tag. "I can see why you're such a grouch. It says here you're from Galileo Labs just like me and Delilah. You probably thought Deaky was going to take you away and lock you up in a cage."

"We won't hurt you, Rex." Brian said reassuringly. "You have no reason to fear us."

' _He'll hurt us and we have reason to fear him.'_ I remarked.

"Can we keep him?" Roger asked.

"I'd love to, but I think he'd be much happier on this farm than cooped up in our overcrowded flat." Brian said. "He needs space to run around and let out all of that pent up energy from being caged. Poor baby. You really can't blame him for lashing out."

' _But we're keeping Romeo.'_  I insisted.

' _Yes. I love flats! I'll be happy.'_ He said, but then turned to me. ' _Delilah, what's a flat?'_

***

"I must admit, it is rather extraordinary that you two have the same marking on the exact same spot on your tails." Freddie said as he mindlessly played some chords on the piano. "Maybe you are cat soulmates."

' _Of course we are!'_ Romeo purred. ' _Tails tell all.'_

_'I finally found some kitty to love!'_ I cooed. We intertwined our tails again, making the matching crescents touch.

"Well whatever stops you from pining over Brian because he's taken." Freddie laughed. He looked up from the piano out the window of the barn where Brian and Roger were busy playing fetch and fawning over the vicious beast known as Rex. Romeo followed Freddie's gaze. ' _I still don't trust him.'_ ' _Neither do I.'_ I agreed.

"One day when we're the biggest band in the civilization, we'll move into a glorious manor surrounded by a garden, and there will be room for all of us and several more cats. Or better yet, the manor will be for me and Deaky, and Brian and Roger can take their dogs and badgers elsewhere. Bri keeps thinking about how he wants to move out and have his own place with Roger anyway." Freddie rambled. He shook his head, dismissing the dream and returned to the piano.

My fur spiked upwards as I spotted John leaving the farmhouse and walking over to where Brian and Roger were playing with the dog. I didn't want Deaky getting hurt again. Romeo hissed when Rex's path collided with Deaky's. We both ran out of the barn when he knocked the bassist to the ground.

' _That's my muse's soulmate you're messing with!'_ I screamed. ' _How dare you make him...laugh?'_

Deaky had a large grin on his face and was laughing even though Rex was on top of him. It seemed like the dog was only interested in licking his face, not attacking him. Huh. Oh well. As long as Deaky was okay.

"Oh yes." John giggled. "You think you're all tough and mean, but you're just a big sweetheart on the inside. You just needed a little love and attention. That's all."

' _He's gonna kill you!'_ Romeo shouted.

Instead Rex jump over Deaky's body to get to the stick Brian had thrown. I was onto that bastard. Romeo walked protectively in front of John and I prowled behind him. We were his official bodyguards.

There was a glow coming from the barn, nearly as bright as the moon itself, and I knew long before we followed Deaky back inside that Freddie was busy at work.

" _...You will remember_

_When this is blown over_

_And everything's all by the way_

_When I grow older_

_I will be there at your side_

_To remind you how I still love you_

_I still love you..."_ The muse's haunting voice echoed across the barn. Romeo purred and lied down, shutting his eyes as Freddie sang. Too bad I already took my nap otherwise we could cuddle up and fall asleep next to each other.

"My angel." Deaky sighed, wrapping his arms around Freddie from behind the piano bench. Freddie reached over and pulled him up onto his lap, giving him a kiss.

"Now I would never ever wish anything bad to happen to you, darling, but in a way I'm kind of grateful...W-When you were mauled...I realized how much you meant to me, and t-the next thing I knew...I was singing this song to save you. It's for you, darling."

"It's beautiful." Deaky whispered, rubbing the tears from his eyes.

"Never leave me, my love." Freddie requested.

"Oh, Freddie, no, of course not. I'll never leave you."

"Promise?" Freddie looked up at him with a sparkle in his dark eyes and a vulnerability from him I hadn't seen since Paul told him he was leaving the lab for good.  "I promise." John assured him, giving him a hug. Sometimes I just couldn't handle how cute those two were.

"Love of my life." Freddie repeated. "I can't wait to dedicate this song to you every time we play it live. I'll let the audience know how special you are to me."

' _Won't you glow?'_ I questioned. ' _I thought Brian doesn't play the red special on the slower songs like this?'_

"Fuck! You're right, Delilah. It's an acoustic. We can't play it live." I hated to see him so upset like this even when he admitted that I was right.

"That's okay, Freddie. It can be just for us." Deaky assured him. "It's more personal that way."

"But I want the world to know what you mean to me and give the audience something special."

"We can still have it on the album, just not live. It's not worth it. If you glow on stage in front of everybody, then  _I'll_ be the one losing the love of my life. This isn't just one way, Freddie. Even if they honor our vows and agree to keep us together, the last thing I ever want is for you to end up back in a cage like a rabid dog. Seeing you tortured like that would break me. Do you understand?"

I was one tough cookie. I was with Freddie for all those years, and it didn't break me. Although now that we had our taste of freedom, going back might just be too much to handle. Freddie did promise me that we'd never return to the lab, but there was still no official declaration as strong about never going back to the tower. So far Freddie kept his word on his promises, the farm included. I did keep track and hold him accountable for the things that he owed me. One thing I never expected to be held at face value wasFreddie's promise that there was someone (or rather some cat)other than Brian who was out there for me. It turned out my hopeless romantic muse was right. I purred and snuggled up beside Romeo, shutting my eyes as John sang Your My Best Friend to Freddie.

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was back. I knew it would come back eventually! Brian really needed to give me a lecture on that sooner or later. I purred when I locked eyes with Romeo and we rubbed our noses together. His whiskers entangled with mine as he sniffed the air. He licked his lips. ' _It smells like eggs and bacon.'_

Yummy! ' _It's coming from the farmhouse.'_ I detected.

As Romeo charged forward, I paused at the doorway of the barn, looking up at Freddie. His fingers were on the piano but they were perfectly still and he was mumbling some gibberish to himself. Sometimes a muse needs his cat to keep himself from going slightly mad.

' _You go to the farmhouse and have breakfast. I'll meet you there.'_ I told Romeo.

I jumped up on the piano to get Freddie's attention. "Bismillah!" He shouted at me from out of nowhere. I had no clue what that word meant.

' _Are you feeling okay, Freddie? Did you sleep at all last night or were you sitting at the piano working the whole time?'_

Freddie blinked. He looked over at me and smiled softly. "Good morning, darling. Deaky and the others are in the farmhouse eating breakfast. You should join them."

_'You need to eat too.'_ I reminded him.

"Be honest, Delilah, do you like my cowboy song or do you think it's nothing more than meaningless dribble?"

Ah, the notorious never ending cowboy song. To Freddie, it was so much more than meaningless dribble or so I suspected. He started writing it many, many years ago, but bits and pieces would slip away from him. Every now and then he'd wake up from a dream and go into a trance like this, trying to remember notes and lyrics that would come to him. I had my suspicions what the songwas about. After all, I was there when he was too weak to save the line of desperate people, queued just outside the lab door.

_'"Farrokh." I cringed at the scientist's mispronunciation of the Parsi name. At this point, he mainly went by Freddie, and that's what I called him. We both liked the name a lot. In fact Freddie claimed he preferred it over his birth name and if he ever got out of here and received rights, he'd change it legally._

_"It's Freddie." He groaned as she banged against the cage door._

_"Get up, you lazy fucking muse! There's people dying out there. You can save them but you're too busy lying on your ass to sing for their lives."_

_'Well he's dying in here because of you, you evil bitch!' I snarled._

_"I can't sing anymore." Freddie coughed. "Just give me a painkiller and then I can. My body's aching all the time."_

_"We haven't studied the impacts painkillers have on your magic, but thank you for the suggestion. Now shut up and sing or all those people will die!" She shouted._

_Freddie choked on a sob. "I-I want to. Believe me, darling, I do, but—"_

_"—If they die, it's your fault."_

_'How the hell is it Freddie's fault?' I cried. 'They have cancer. Maybe if you weren't so busy torturing muses, you'd invent a cure. So if anything it's your fault.'_

_"If you don't sing for them," She went on, "it's the equivalent of putting a gun against their heads and pulling your trigger." The scientist mimed a gun with her hands. "BANG! Now they're dead. All thanks to you. What would your mother think if she knew you just killed a man?"_

_I turned to Freddie curiously. 'You have a mother?' He said he didn't remember his life before he was kidnapped. I suspected the shock treatments the scientists kept giving him whenever he spoke about his family made him forget. They wanted him to believe there was nothing and no one for him in the outside world._ '

"I'm starting to get bits and pieces of my memory back lately." Freddie said. "I know in my heart that my family is here with you and the boys, but I keep remembering my real Mama and Papa, and to be honest I really miss them. We lived in this other civilization full of magical creatures where it was safe for us. Maybe one day I can find out where it is and try to track my parents down. Do you think they miss me, Delilah? What if they forgot about me like I forgot about them?"

' _You didn't forget about them.'_ I purred. ' _You're remembering them now.'_

My attention was stolen by a clang coming from the farmhouse. The noise was loud enough for Freddie's ears to register as he looked up as well. "What are they up to? I swear if they all kill each other, there won't be anyone left to record the album."

I followed Freddie to the farmhouse, licking my lips when the aroma of eggs and bacon became even stronger. Nothing seemed amiss. Romeo was eating Kibbles from one of my bowls while Rex had the audacity to sit by Deaky trying to gobble up the bacon from his plate. Freddie poured me a bowl of Kibbles alongside Romeo's. He read the label on the food bag, shrugged, and poured a bowl for Rex, but the dog was only interested in the bacon at the table.

"I was up all night pouring my heart and soul into this song for you." Roger exclaimed. "And you laugh in my fucking face!" He threw a mug. Brian ducked out of the way, and the projectile went flying at Freddie instead. The muse caught it in the air and casually used it to pour himself coffee. "I'm late what did I miss?"

"Roger wrote a um...well I believe it is a love song." Deaky stated. "Personally I thought it was a joke."

"You want a joke? I'll show you a joke, Deacon!" Roger grabbed a piece of bacon from his plate and threw it at John's face.

' _People are weird.'_ Romeo said.

' _They're very entertaining.'_ I ate the Kibbles like popcorn, watching Roger's tantrum.

"Look, I appreciate that you...put in so much effort on my behalf," Brian said, "but maybe it's not strong enough."

"Not strong enough?" Roger cried, "What does that even mean? I think being compared to a car is the greatest compliment you'll ever receive and the song is a testament to our love."

"Wait what?" Freddie burst into laughter.

"Um...I don't know, Rog." Brian said. "Have you read it over? It sounds more like you're singing to your car instead of me."

"It's a metaphor, Brian!" Roger shouted. "Of course it's about you. I mean look at the timing. We had sex for the first time last night and I immediately wrote it afterwards to show you how much I love you."

Freddie spit out his coffee. "Oh darling, this keeps getting better and better!"

Roger threw some more plates and in the scuffle, a piece of paper landed on the floor by my paws. I examined it.  ' _I think you misspelled cat, it's spelled c-a-t not c-a-r.'_

"You see, Brian," Roger snatched the paper away from me before I could read beyond the first verse, "Delilah likes it."

' _If it's supposed to be I'm in love with my cat, I'd like it a lot better.'_ I said.

"Delilah is cat, Roger." Brian pointed out. "She can't read."

"Actually she can. I taught her how." Freddie defended me before I could start hissing. ' _Yeah because unlike this drooling moron over here,'_ I referenced Rex who was obnoxiously panting by Deaky's feet, ' _I'm literate._ ' 

"And she says that your song isn't good." Freddie picks and chooses what he translates and it can get annoying sometimes. I did agree though, the song wasn't good. However, my suggestion to change it I'm in love with my cat would be enough to save it. 

"NOT THE COFFEE MACHINE!" Freddie, Brian, and Deaky all shouted in unison as Roger made a grab for it. 

_'You're right, Delilah! This is entertaining.'_ Romeo stared up at our two legged friends in awe waiting for what amusing trick they would do next.

"I think my song is a bloody masterpiece and deserves to be on the album!" Roger shouted. "And you three are all blind! You just want  _your_  songs on the album and you won't admit that mine is superior." 

"Actually, Roger, of the four of us, your vision is the worst." Deaky pointed out. 

I expected Roger to actually throw the coffee machine or maybe flip the table. Instead, he didn't say a word and just stormed out. 

"So, darling," Freddie addressed Brian as he sipped his coffee, "when were you going to tell me that you got laid?" 

Brian shook his head, his face flushing with embarrassment as he cleaned up the mess that Roger had left behind. Freddie and Deaky ate their breakfast, sneaking silent smiles and stifled giggles at each other. 

After breakfast, the boys challenged us to a game of "Where the hell is Roger? We need to start recording Love of My Life." which is a funny way of saying hide and go seek. Romeo had only been around us for a day, so I knew Roger scent better. I was going to win! 

_'Isn't this fun?'_  I exclaimed as we scoured the farmhouse with Roger. ' _If you live with us, Freddie will play games like this all day long, and he'll give you lots of treats and goodies too.'_

_'I love this forever home!'_ Romeo declared. 

I stopped at the cupboard when I heard something fumbling around in there. I licked my lips, but when my ears twitched, I realized that the sound was of something much larger than a delicious little rodent. Until today I thought I was the expert at hide and seek, but Roger was phenomenally better. How did he fit his whole body in there? 

' _Freddie!'_ I meowed for my muse. ' _I win! I found Roger! Do I get a treat?_ ' 

Freddie came running. "Delilah says she found him!" He announced to Brian and John who were still looking. "Where is he, Delilah?" 

_'In the cupboard.'_ I nudged my paw against the door to demonstrate. 

Freddie frowned. "No, Delilah. We're looking for Roger, remember? He's not as small as a cat. There's no way he can fit in there." 

"I can so fit in here! And I'm not coming out until you agree to put my song on the album!" Roger responded in a muffled voice.

Meanwhile, dumb Rex was just chasing his tail. And they say dogs make better rescue animals than cats. Give me a break! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was a weird chapter to say the least. Next chapter we will continue on the farm, but from the POV of a more reliable narrator. God I want a cat so bad, but half my family is allergic and the other half are dog lovers and I can't afford to move out until after I graduate, so it looks like I won't be getting a cat any time soon. I love dogs too and we've had a dog since I was 10 years old. But ever since I was attacked by my friend's two German Shepherds when I went to her sleep over party in middle school, I've been terrified of most dogs with the exception of my own. I want to love them because they're so cute and sweet, but I just get a panic attack whenever a dog comes near me, and the dogs can sense my anxiety ,and they start barking at me and it makes things worse. Ugh. The stray cats in the neighborhood just seem more calm and more understanding. They don't just walk up to me and jump and start barking. Sorry for my rant. IDK where this came from.


	20. I'm in Love with my Car (Bonus Chapter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short bonus chapter of Maylor fluff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a short little Maylor bonus chapter as a thank you for continuing to support this story. I planned on leaving THIS scene up to the imagination after it was briefly addressed in the last chapter, but because I love you guys so much I'm writing it out and making it super fluffy. But please note that my no smut rule remains intact so you don't have to worry. Enjoy!

_Roger's POV_

"I think my arm is going to fall off." I complained as Rex dropped the stick in front of my feet for what had to be the millionth time. I had no choice but to throw it again when he started barking at me.

"Really Rog? You can drum for hours on end without getting tired, but playing fetch with a dog makes you sore?" Brian laughed. This time when Rex returned, he politely dropped the stick by Brian's feet and sat like a good boy, whimpering softly. Brian gave him a pet and tossed the stick.

"How come when he wants you to throw it, he whimpers all cutely, but when he comes to me he barks and growls?" I pouted.

"Animals are a lot like us. Sometimes we do unpredictable things that not even we ourselves can explain or understand." Brian replied. "It's the same with animals."

"It's the hair isn't it?" I concluded. "Animals are drawn to your hair because it's like a nest." ****

Brian smirked. "Maybe that's it."

As the sun set and stars began to appear in the hazy sky, the glow coming from the barn became more visible. Freddie was in there working and that explained the glow. Brian was making some progress with The Prophet's Song, but it was our very first day here, so I doubted I'd be doing much tonight outside of getting acclimated to farm life.Productivity could start tomorrow. We had two whole weeks here so there was no real rush. The stars of course caught Brian's attention and he was too busy staring up at sky to see that Rex was charging at him. The dog collided with Brian, knocking him to the ground in a playful pounce. 

"No!" I scolded. "Bad Rex! We don't harass our guitarists!" Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Romeo and Delilah hissing like crazy. 

"It's okay, Roger. He's just playing." Brian laughed. Eventually Rex got bored of rolling around in the grass with Brian and leapt off of him and ran away in a different direction. "Perfect view of the stars." Brian remarked as he dusted his jacket, making no attempts to get back up on his feet. I slid down next to him so that we were both on our backs, gazing up at the starry sky. It was a pretty site. "If only I packed my telescope." Brian sighed. 

"You can still see them pretty well. Look there's Polaris." I pointed up to the north star. Brian taught me that it had an official name. I just knew it as the brightest star that I could follow to get back home. 

"You remembered!" He exclaimed with the cutest little surprised grin. "Believe it or not I actually listen when you ramble on and on about space." I leaned in to kiss that smile. "Maybe I would have done better in school if I had more  teachers like you." 

"Ones that you could kiss?" Brian questioned. 

"I'm trying to flirt, Brian. Don't make this weird." I said bluntly. "Now kiss me back!" 

"Whatever you say, Roggie."

Somewhere in between kissing, star gazing, and throwing the stick for Rex who kept coming back round, I made the decision to ask what had been on my mind for a very long time. 

"So, land sex?" I ventured. "Is it any good? Or are we just going to stick to kissing?" 

"Oh...I um I wouldn't know." Brian stammered. I knew he was fascinated by the stars, but it was obvious that he was just looking up to avoid meeting my eyes. 

"Well siren sex is nothing to write home about." I tried to make him feel more comfortable with the topic. "I've done it with quite a few mermaids and a handful of mermen. It was alright I guess." I did have sex frequently, but the whole time I was imagining myself with my soulmate instead of my latest one night stand, and that just made the experiences sad. Now I finally found my BHM, and it was about time we took this next step in our relationship. I knew I would have to be the one to make the first move. I waited for Brian to respond, but he just stared up at the sky, completely ignoring me. 

"Did you hear me, Bri?" I pressed. 

It was possible that he was just trying to process what I was requesting.  I was a lot of things, but patient was not one of them. So I let out a melodic scream to get Brian's attention. 

It worked like a charm, and in a flash Brian was kissing me again. Only it was a strange sort of kiss, one that lacked our usual passion. I opened my eyes to find his staring back at me, glazed and out of it. I immediately recognized the hypnotic look. 

"Oh shit! I sirened you!" I realized. 

This was bad! I made a promise that I would never do this to Brian. Why didn't I just scream at him in a normal voice to get his attention? Why did I have to use my falsetto? So stupid! 

"Brimi, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed. 

He blinked, and looked around confused as my spell wore off. "Rog...What just happened?" 

I couldn't face him, I just shook my head blinking back guilty tears. I only wanted Brian to kiss me out of love, not a synthetic lust. How could I tell him that I broke my promise? "I-I um...I'm sorry. It was an accident I swear."

"What was an accident?" Brian asked calmly. "You can tell me. I hate to see you so upset. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can fix it." 

"I...I sirened you." I admitted lowering my head in shame. "I'm so sorry."

"That's it?" Brian asked relief in his voice. "You scared me there, Roger! For a moment I thought you might have done something awful like hurt Rex or something." 

"Y-You're not mad?" I asked. Maybe he didn't comprehend what had happened. "I forced you...I held your mind hostage and made you kiss me."

"You said it was an accident. I believe you. I know you would never do that to me on purpose. Besides, it's not like we haven't kissed before." Brian reasoned. "Now...Remind me, what were we talking about before all of this?" 

Now I felt funny bringing up the topic of sex, but Brian was so understanding. "I love you." I sighed. "I want us to finally be intimate like a real couple. Just for one night. Please, Bri?"

"Oh that's right, now I remember." Brian said, tensing slightly. "I don't know, Roger.  I-I've never done this before, and you're still so new to being on land. What if I hurt you or we mess up or--"

"--Can we at least try?" I begged. "If we don't like it, we can stop. I just want to know what it's like to do it with my soulmate. Aren't you curious as well?" 

"I am." He admitted. "I just want you to be sure that this is what you want."

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life." I planted a proper kiss to his lips. "So can we?"

"How can I say no?" Brian agreed. 

I squealed excitedly and leapt into his arms as we returned to the farmhouse. With Freddie working in the barn, and Deaky going out for an evening stroll for some musical inspiration, we had the place to ourselves. It was a perfect moment, one I knew I would never forget. 

Brian closed the curtains to give us even more privacy. "I have the most beautiful starry sky to look at, but I can't tear my eyes away from you. You're my favorite star, Roger. I love you so much." 

"I love you too, babe." I told him. I searched for something akin to stars that I could exemplify like he had. "You're my favorite car." 

"Um...That's...You know what never mind, let's skip the flirting and get on with it." 

I nodded and gestured for Brian to join me in the bed. 

***

"That was amazing!" I panted. "Better than driving in a sports car!"

"I agree." Brian exhaled. "But no more car metaphors."

"But I compare you to cars to tell you that I love you." I pouted.

As he went to fill my makeshift pillow with water so we could fall asleep next to each other, I hummed a melody softly to myself. "I'm going to write you a love song." I decided. Since Brian was in the other room he couldn't hear me, but that was okay. I would surprise him. I loved him so much. He was worthy of being compared to the beauty of a car. Of course if I had to chose between the car and my soulmate, he would win in a heartbeat. Hopefully that would come across in the song. If not it would still be a good song that I'd fight for. 

 


	21. I Live my Life for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a dark turn for Freddie after Rex interrupts the recording of his “cowboy song”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I start school Monday, so updates might get slower. I'll try to get another chapter out before Monday, but here's this one in the mean time!

_Freddie's POV_

Today marked the beginning of our second week here, which meant that in only seven days we had to have the album completed. Well, I was more than okay going past the deadline and staying on the farm a bit longer if necessary, but Brian kept insisting that we were going over budget and needed to keep a stricter schedule. Honestly, I was more concerned that we were going to kill each other before the album was even finished. From Roger's cupboard scheme to Deaky's prank of flat ironing Brian's hair while he slept, we fought and messed with each other more than we actually worked. By some miracle, though, the songs we did get to record were turning out better than expected. Even Roger's stupid car song was good, and that was saying something. Each and every song we put out was strong and on par with our standards. I had a feeling about this album. It may just be a game changer for us.

Even though my cowboy song haunted my every waking hour, I had my mind consumed by other things as well. Mainly, I wanted to train myself to not glow when I sing. I hated being so dependent on the Red Special. We could never play any acoustics live unless I allowed Brian or Roger to sing for me. It didn't bother me until I wrote Love of my Life. Now my heart was broken knowing I'd never have the chance to sing my heartfelt declaration to my soulmate in front of a live audience. 

"I _go out to work on Monday morning...."_

So far so good, no glow. I focused on the water droplets rushing down from the shower head as I sang.

"... _Tuesday I go off to honeymoon_

_I'll be back again before it's time for sunny-down,_

_I'll be lazing on a Sunday afternoon_

_Bicycling on every Wednesday evening_

_Thursday I go waltzing to the zoo_

_I come from London Town, I'm just an ordinary guy_

_Fridays I go painting in the Louvre..."_

"Fuck!" When I held the last note, my body emitted its signature muse hue. The light was quite divine, but not the least bit useful. I reached for the shampoo bottle and started again from the top.

_"I go out to work on Monday morning...."_

This time, a knock on the door made me stop singing. I did lock the door, but Miami gave us all a master key to unlock every room in the farmhouse as well as the barn. "Unless your name is John Richard Deacon and you were born on August 19th, 1951, you're not allowed in here until I'm done!" I shouted.

" _I go out to work on Monday morning_

_Tuesday I go off to honeymoon..."_

I heard the door open. I parted the shower curtains slightly to see who was walking in on me showering. In my defense, I did offer a warning, so if Brian and or Roger saw me in all my glory, they only had themselves to blame. Thankfully, it was my Deaky who was more than welcome.

"Darling," I cooed, drawing the curtains all the way, "care to join me?"

"Y-Yes...I mean no..." Deaky's face flushed pink. "I um...I wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard you singing, but...I didn't see the glow from beneath the doorframe like I always do."

"You didn't?" I gleefully exclaimed. "Oh, Deaky, that's excellent news! It means I'm making progress. Before you know it I'll be able to get through an entire song without glowing."

"If that's what you want. I'm glad you're happy, Freddie, but you really don't need to worry about the glowing because we have Brian and the Red Special." John replied.

"Not for acoustics like Love of My Life." I pointed out. "Imagine it, Deaky, an entire stadium singing along with me. They'll all be singing to you."

He shook his head. "Freddie, I don't know about that. It's so risky."

"But I gotta chance it." I insisted. "There's no fun in life unless you take some risks, darling."

"Funny, Roger said something like that to me once." He murmured. "But we all agreed that we wouldn't be taking any more unnecessary risks."

I sang another note, but this time I was aware of my glowing because I was using my magic. "Look at your ring, darling." I instructed. Earlier I marked his daily ring with 'I live my life for you'. Deaky gasped when he saw that I had changed the inscription. 'I'd risk my life for you'.

"I mean it, darling." I told him. "I'd take every gratuitous risk out there to keep you safe and happy and by my side forever."

"Freddie," John gushed, "I—"

He was cut off when Brian rushed into the room (Deaky had left the door open). "Hey Rog, have you heard back from Clare ye—Oh shit!" He made a show of covering his eyes. "Sorry, I thought Roger was in using the tub in here."

"T-This isn't what it looks like!" John cried.

"I think it's exactly what it looks like, darling. You purposefully walked in on me while I was showering." I laughed as I closed the curtains.

***

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Deaky asked as we set up in the barn.

I tossed two balls of real yarn so Delilah and Romeo wouldn't mistake the wiring for something to gnaw at. It kept them busy and satisfied while we worked. I had no clue what Rex was up to nor did I particularly want to know.

I cleared my throat and crooned a high note, lighting up the barn with my magic and giving us all cowboy hats. "Today, my darlings, we are going to work on the second part of my cowboy song." I announced.

"Yee-haw!" Roger exclaimed.

"I'm confused, Fred. Is this supposed to be a country song?" Brian inquired. "Because the first part we recorded the other day of you on the piano and what you had me transcribe to guitar didn't fit that genre."

"I defy all genres, my dear. I told you I wanted to get experimental on this album. I'm calling it my cowboy song because I'm not quite sure what to title it yet and we all look very sexy dressed as cowboys. Does that answer your question? Now let's get started on the operatic section."

"Operatic section?" The boys exchanged some funny looks. I predicted there would be pushback, but that didn't deter me in the slightest.

"Trust me, it will all come together beautifully." I stated with confidence. I had faith in this baby of mine. When I was in the lab with nothing to live for, the lyrics would fill my head and my dreams, giving me hope. The song carried on through my life in the tower with Paul. I cringed at the memory of the demon throwing my lyrics into the fireplace. Gone were those days. No more lonely nights sobbing myself to sleep. I was triumphant, and my cowboy song was a symbol of how far I had come.

Several hours later, we had most of our harmonies recorded. Now all that was left to do was record my bits and Roger's separately and overdub it. "Magnifico!" I proclaimed, a slight crack in my voice from all the singing. "Excellent job, darlings! Go take a break and rest your voices while I finish my parts. Then, Roger, I need you to..." I paused when I noticed that the blonde was staring out the window with a far away look in his eye. "You seem a bit distracted." I noted.

He blinked. "Oh sorry. I was just thinking about Clare. I haven't heard from her in a really long time. I'm worried something bad might've happened to her. The whole 'we will not let you go' thing reminded me of those fucking hunters and their nets...no offense, Bri."

Most of the song was directed at the lab rats, but I didn't feel the need to point it out. Instead, I offered Roger a consoling hug alongside Brian. "Take five, dear. You've earned a break."

"I'm sure Clare is just very busy helping your mother move out. Divorces can be difficult to process, so I'm sure she's got a lot on her mind and will write to you when she gets the chance." Brian reassured him.

"Your parents are getting a divorce?" I questioned. This was news to me. No wonder Roger was acting out more than usual lately.

"I don't understand." Deaky spoke up, "Soulmates don't get divorced."

"Yeah well my parents weren't soulmates and they lied about it to me and Clare our entire lives. And I had to find out through a fucking letter." Roger shot bitterly. "At least Mom finally woke up and stopped making all her excuses for Dad coming home drunk all the time and verbally abusing us."

"That's horrendous!" I cried.

"I really don't want to talk about it, and I don't want your pity." He shook his head. "What do you need me to do? Maybe it will help take my mind off things."

"Well I need you focused, but fortunately we can do several takes...or several hundred takes if necessary. The point is that the final take needs to be bloody _perfect._ " I stressed the word. "And I'm going to push you until you reach perfection. Are you sure you're in the right mindset and ready to give me 139%?"

"Ready Freddie!" Roger said confidently.

"You know statistically speaking it's not possible for him to give a percentage over 100." Deaky pointed out.

"Nothing is impossible, darling."

"But he's right, Fred. Not even someone as perfect as Roger can give over 100%." Brian argued.

' _Darling, I know you love him, but his ego is big enough already without you calling him perfect._ ' I thought.

Brian's mind was focused on Roger's cheery smile after receiving the compliment. ' _He's far from perfect in general, but he's perfect for me.'_

I made a gagging noise as the couple forgot they were alone and started kissing. I covered Deaky's eyes in case they decided to do anything more risqué beyond making out. Gotta preserve my innocent baby even though the two of us have done some very dirty things ourselves.

"So are we recording a song or are we just here to get down make love?" I blurted.

"Sorry." Brian pulled himself away from Roger.

"I really needed that pick me up. I feel a lot better now." Roger remarked showing no signs of embarrassment or regret unlike his boyfriend. "Thank you, Bri."

"Anytime, love." Brian replied a bit awkwardly.

Now that they got that out of their system, we were ready to get to work. Brian held the red special so Roger wouldn't accidentally use his magic as he crooned out high notes.

"How was that?" He paused after five takes of Galileo. I shook my head. "Can you go any higher?"

"I'll try." Roger coughed.

"Take 6." Brian said as Deaky rolled the tape.

" _Galileo...Galileo, Figaro!" "Galileo...Galileo, Figaro!" "Galileo...Galileo Figaro!_ "

"HIGHER!" I shouted.

"Any higher and I might break a window." Roger warned.

"We can afford a window replacement." I said flippantly. "Go higher!"

"Actually we can't afford a window replacement. Miami said to leave this place exactly as we found it." Brian said.

I ignored him. "Take 10. Deaky, roll the tape." I ordered sharply.

"Tape is running thin, Freddie." He warned.

"My patience is also running thin, darling." I replied. "Roll the bloody tape!"

" _Galileo...Galileo, Figaro!"_

I shook my head. "Still not high enough!"

"How many Galileos do you need?" Roger cried.

"Take 11." Brian sighed. Deaky rolled the tape again. " _Galileo...Galileo, Figaro!_ Who even is Galileo?"

"I know you can go higher, Roger!" I insisted, "Sing it like you're screaming at a spider!"

He gave me the middle finger as we rolled the tape again. " _Galileo...Gali_ —Fuck!" Rex responded to the high notes and barged into the barn in a barking frenzy. "I told you only dogs could hear me if I went any higher!"

"Rex stop! We are recording an album! Go bark and be destructive outside!" I scolded. Would I ever use a tone that harsh with a cat? No! Bless Delilah and Romeo who were mindlessly playing with their yarn in the corner, not bothering us. Except now Rex had them riled up and they were meowing and hissing. I picked them up as Brian and Deaky held Rex back. When did our makeshift recording studio become a zoo? I suppose I could expect as much considering we were recording in a barn.

"Freddie, get the cats to stop enticing him!" Brian yelled.

"My cats are just defending themselves! You get Rex to calm down!" I cried.

"So I take it we don't need anymore Galileos?" Roger asked.

Rex tilted his head up at Roger in response to his voice and broke free from Brian and Deaky's hold over him. Roger screamed in a brilliant display of his vocal capacity when Rex charged at him. Even though Roger was about to get mauled like Deaky had, all I could think was why the hell couldn't he reach that pitch on the Galileos. I prepared myself to use my magic to heal Roger from Rex's attack, but instead the strangest thing happened. The dog stopped growling and stood perfectly still.

"Brian, what do I do?" Roger wailed as Rex remained eerily motionless and stared up at him blankly.

' _Quick! Let's get rid of him while he's distracted!'_ Delilah, writhing in my arms, shouted. I shushed her.

Brian pet Rex, trying to see what was the matter with him, but the dog was unresponsive and stayed fixated on Roger. Brian did have to put down the red special to hold Rex back, so that meant Roger was capable of using his magic. Maybe he sirened Rex?

"Darling, is it possible to siren an animal?" I inquired.

Roger's eyes widened. "No fucking way!" He cried. "I-I might've induced an ancient siren control call. If it's true then I have complete control over him."

"I thought you only had the power to make people lust after you." Brian said.

"All I know is that when I screamed, all I was thinking was 'Oh no Rex please stop!' and then just like that," Roger snapped his fingers, "he stopped."

In wonder, I stared at the dog who was deadly still awaiting a command from Roger. "Wouldn't that kind of magic require more energy?" I pondered. "If I took complete control over someone's brain, I would probably fall into a coma for several days."

"Let's test it!" Roger giggled excitedly. "Rex, roll over!"

The dog rolled over onto his back, but remained in that vulnerable position with his eyes glued to Roger.

"Roger, set him free now!" Brian shouted. "This is wrong. You shouldn't have this type of control over another living creature."

"Oh relax, Bri. I'm not making him do anything bad. I just told him to roll over. Dogs do that shit all the time."

"Well if you're going to keep him under your spell, you might as well tell him to leave us alone while we're recording." I suggested.

"What are the chances you can hold that kind of power over people?" Deaky asked, nervously reaching for my hand which was unfortunately taken as I was holding the cats.

"My ancestors supposedly used their control call to ward away sharks and other predatory fish." Roger explained. "I don't think they could use it on people. Only the traditional siren call is strong enough to do that and it just creates a few moments of lust. This, on the other hand, as the legend foretells can last forever. I can keep him as my prisoner for however long I choose."

' _Is it too late to kick Roger out of the band?_ ' Delilah asked.

"Why would you say something like that?" I cried, "We love him."

' _He's scaring me._ ' She mewled. 

"I can do some scary shit with my powers as well. Does that make you afraid of me? No, it doesn't because we trust each other. We're not kicking anyone out of the band. We're a family after all."

"So what now?" Roger asked.

"You let him go." Brian said firmly. "This isn't right."

"Um...I don't know how." He admitted.

"Why don't you try screaming backwards? Maybe that'll reverse it." I suggested. It made sense to me. If his normal screaming cast the spell, then doing it in reverse should undo it. But Roger stared at me like I was crazy. "Screaming backwards? What does that even mean?"

"Ohhh-Ayyy!" I demonstrated, flipping my signature sound. "You'll figure it out, darling."

"If you're so confident, why don't you do it then? Aren't you that all powerful muse known for breaking curses with your voice?"

I could probably do it, but it would set us back at least a day because I'd be so exhausted. It seemed like Roger didn't have to deal with the fatigue whenever he used his magic. I was envious. "At least give it a try, and then if you really can't, I'll do it."

"If I scream again, I might mess things up even worse. I really have no clue what I'm doing." Roger sighed. "Thinking it right and doing it wrong. That's always me."

"We know you mean well." Brian assured him with another kiss.

"How about I just try to talk him out of it so I don't accidentally make things any worse?" Roger reasoned. He cleared his throat and stared down looking directly in the dog's blank eyes. "Rex, I release you. You are free to go." The moment Roger said the word "go", the dog fled the barn as if he were running from a fire.

"I think you just commanded him to leave you." Deaky surmised.

' _Good riddance._ ' Delilah mewled.

I shook my head and put the cats back down. Roger looked like he needed a hug, but Brian beat me to it, giving him one. "I'm sorry." Roger murmured. Normally, Roger would be the kind of guy to laugh this sort of thing off, but I knew he was dealing with his parents' divorce and lack of response from Clare.

"It's alright, darling. I'll go chase after him and break the spell for you." I offered. "It might drain a lot of my energy so when I come back I need you three to make up for it and put your all into the rest of my cowboy song."

"Thank you." He said softly from within Brian's embrace.

With that, I strode out of the barn in search of Rex. How hard could it be to track down such a large dog? "Here, doggie, doggie!" I called. He couldn't have gone far. "Rex, darling?" I tried again. "I'm sorry that you and my cats can't get along. It's not your fault that you're so vicious around them...Well it is your fault if you put it that way, but we still love you. Now get over here, so I can break Roger's spell and finally finish recording the bloody song!"

I spotted the fur ball far off in the distance near the fence leading to the outskirts. Son of a bitch! "Rex, don't you do it!" I shouted. He ignored me and jumped over the fence. Delilah was right. Rex did ruin everything!

Now I was at a crossroad. Should I venture into the outskirts to rescue Rex or should I go back to the boys empty handed? I could envision Brian throwing a fit when he discovers that Rex was defenseless and all alone in the outskirts. But did that mean I had to risk my life for his? I would do it for a cat in a heartbeat. Of course I would do it for my brothers Brian and Roger without giving it a second thought. And no question, I had all but explicitly told Deaky that I'd make a choice like this for him earlier. I lived and risked my life for him. That much was a no brainer. So did I owe the same to Rex?

If the flashbacks and dreams were accurate, then this was exactly how I got separated from my family to begin with. I journeyed into the outskirts to help someone in need and wound up getting kidnapped by a hunter. Regardless, the one thing I remembered of Papa were his words of advice. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds. I had to do this good deed and save Rex because he was another living creature worthy of my compassion. Yes, I would make Papa proud for once.

The last time I was in the outskirts was when Brian had  rescued me from the tower. I took a deep breath and climbed over the fence, knowing that if I turned back I would change my mind.

The immediate thing I noticed was how dark it became as I ran through the thickets. The overhead trees masked all sources of light. It was something I failed to notice from my birds eye view from the tower balcony high above the trees. I strained my eyes, blinking quite a few times to get adjusted. I knew this was the one place where my glow would come in handy, but I'd rather not draw any attention to myself. At any moment a hunter or demon could emerge out of nowhere. I had to stay focused and spend as little time here as possible. Find Rex and get out were my two priorities.

Eventually, I found Rex still running, and I realized that he would continue to flee until I released him from his hypnosis as it was Roger's command for him to "go free". In spells you had to be very specific and precise. Even though Roger meant well, his poor word choice would cause the poor dog to just keep running and running until he dropped dead of exhaustion.

I looked around, but I thankfully didn't see any stalkers. I tried my best to sing softly so I wouldn't be heard by anyone or anything lurking in the distance but still carry a volume powerful enough to harness the magic needed to truly free Rex.

As to be expected, my body flashed a lustrous glow like a disco ball. With this light I was able to see better, but I regretted it when the shadow of the tower formed in my viewpoint. Energy was drained from me as I sang, but I wasn't too weakened by it. I knew I succeeded when Rex stopped running. He turned around and dashed back to me, knocking me down and giving me a lick on the cheek.

"Yes, you're very welcome, darling. Now get off of me." I attempted to nudge Rex's paws off my shoulders without hurting him. "I know you're excited to no longer be under Roger's control, but we need to get out of here. It's very dangerous."

The sound of a woman screaming proved my point. It was coming from the direction of the tower. I knew I was powerless to help this damsel in distress, but against my better judgement, I followed a curious Rex to the source of the sound.

"No!" I gasped in horror as we reached the base of the very place I had called my home and sanctuary for nearly a decade. The gothic tower loomed over me now like a persistent hawk. Deep down I always knew I'd return here. I had to be honest with myself. Could a muse really expect to make a name for himself in this world, let alone become a rockstar big enough to grace stadiums like Wembley? Staring back up at the single window of the tower way above my head made me feel small and my dreams much further away, almost unattainable. I was still just a poor boy in no need of sympathy, but at least I knew now that somebody loved me. Three very special people in fact. I didn't need Paul anymore that I had my bandmates to support me and love me unconditionally.

The woman screamed again with a shrill in her voice similar to Roger's. "P-Please don't hurt me!"

"I told you, no harm will come your way if you sing the special song." I recognized Paul's voice. "Now try again and get it right this time or there will be consequences."

"J-Just...l-let me go h-home please." The woman's begs were heart wrenching. But I knew for a fact that the demon she was dealing with never had a heart of his own.

"Stop being such a little ingrate! Do you really think your home was much better? Constant fear of shark attacks or getting caught in a hunter's snare. I did you a favor. Now quit your whining and start singing or I'll fucking kill you and find a new siren who's willing to cooperate."

_"W-Wither and d-decay..._ " I knew from the first few sob filled notes that this siren's sweet but timid voice wasn't strong enough to capture the spell's magic. Paul was going to murder her in cold blood unless I intervened.

Perhaps I could strike another bargain with the demon. If I agreed to sing for him just through the night, maybe he would let both me and the siren go free at dawn. Could I trust Paul to uphold his end of the deal? What if he kept me up there forever? Either way, I couldn't let that innocent siren die. I knew he was moments away from slitting her throat and I could prevent it.

" _Goodbye everybody..."_ I belted allowing myself to fully glow. There was no holding back. "... _I've got to go."_

I got Paul's attention. He leaned over the balcony and stared down at me. "Hello, darling." I called up to him. "Have you forgotten me so soon that you already found a new toy to replace me?"

"I knew it was only a matter of time until you came crawling back to me."  He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I think I should give you a proper welcome home."

I didn't know what I was expecting, but Paul launched a dart gun at me, and the next thing I knew my world went darker than the outskirts itself.

***

Groggily I opened my eyes. The familiar pattern I had painted on the ceiling of the tower greeted me. Of course, what more did I expect? No matter how real these past few months felt, the whole thing was nothing more than a figment of my imagination. I lingered in the warmth of my fake memories.

"Oh Delilah," I sighed, "I just had the most glorious dream. There was this hunter who came to our tower and he helped us escape to the civilization where we—"

I realized I was handcuffed to the bed frame. What kind of kinky shit was this? Paul sat in his arm chair, sipping tea with a subtle smirk as he watched me struggle. "You must forgive me for taking such drastic measures to keep you here. There's no telling if you'll try to run from me again. Once I learn to trust you, I'll grant you some more freedom."

It was no dream. I stared in wonder at my soulmate's name displayed so beautifully for the world to see above my muse mark. John Richard Deacon. I had to get back to my family. I fought against the restraints, but it was no use. The cuffs simply wouldn't budge.

"So tell me, Farrokh, or should I start calling you Freddie Mercury now, did you miss me?" Paul sneered.

"What kind of an asshole question is that?" I retorted. "Clearly, I meant nothing to you."

And I still mean nothing to him otherwise he wouldn't chain me like this. I doubt he even kept my piano... My eyes widened when I noticed the large tank sitting exactly where my piano used to reside. Clare Taylor stared back at me through the glass with fearful blue eyes. So she was the siren Paul kidnapped. Roger's innate feeling of uneasiness wasn't unwarranted. His dear sister had gotten herself into serious trouble. I remembered why I had voluntarily gotten myself kidnapped: To save her life.

"Now that you have me, you need to let her go, Paul." I commanded.

"You are in no position to tell me what to do. Just because your little rock band allows you to boss them around doesn't mean I'll do the same." He growled. "The way I see it, this lucky catch of mine is a perfect insurance plan in case you get any more crazy ideas in that pretty head of yours and decide to run away again. You haven't a clue how long I spent hunting for another creature who could sing like you. They're so hard to find. I had to take to the seven seas and go fishing for sirens because muses are just too damn rare. I let your precious drummer slip through my fingers twice, so I refuse to be so clumsy with his female counterpart. I'll be keeping a good watch on both of you."

"I think you're underestimating me, darling." I gave one final tug at the cuffs before resorting to magic. "AYY-OHH!" The first cuff snapped in two. My left hand was free. Now for the right...

"Don't do something you'll regret, Farrokh." Paul warned. "There is nothing for you out there. I'll take care of you, give you everything you need. I only ask for one thing in return. If you leave me again, it's only a matter of time until that hunter in your band turns on all three of you and then you'll wind up back in the laboratory fighting for your life, same as where you started."

"Brian wouldn't do that to us. You don't know him like I do, like we do. Things are different now, Paul. I have people out there who will take care of me and love me, and guess what they'll do it for free. So I don't need you anymore." I declared.

"If that's true then why did you come back?" He inquired. "Something must have brought you here. Perhaps you weren't satisfied with your soulmate?"

"You leave John out of this!" I snarled. "He is everything to me and you are nothing to me. Less than nothing, I'd say. You're just a fucking fruit fly."

I didn't see his hand slap across my face because it moved too suddenly but I felt the sharp blow. "How dare you speak to me like that after everything I've done for you! I love you and this is how you repay me?"

Demons were allegedly incapable of displaying any sort of emotion outside of lust and rage. Paul knew nothing but destruction and death. I only offered him a respite from his insatiable appetite. For the ten years I lived with him I came to accept this. He certainly had a funny way of showing his love for me. Hearing him say those words to me was almost surreal. "Darling, you can't possibly mean that. You don't love me."

"Why would you say that?" Paul leaned down, brushing back a piece of my hair. "It may not be my name on your arm, but that doesn't change the way I feel about you." Then his lips captured mine and I was too stunned to react. I remained frigid staring back at Paul in shock as he kissed me.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He whispered. "Ever since you came of age.." Paul licked his lips. "Who would have known that the skinny dying muse boy I saved for my own needs would grow into such a beautiful man."

Around the time I turned eighteen, I did start to notice the signs that Paul was attracted to me, but I chose to ignore them. I was never interested in perusing any sort of romantic relationship with my captor. Although I did participate when Paul invited sex demons to visit us. They were similar to normal demons but thrived on sex rather than blood. Paul would have them come up to the tower for an orgy. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the sex, but that was then. Now the thought of doing anything lewd with anyone other than my soulmate was revolting. I only wanted to taste Deaky's soft lips against my own. Anyone else's made me sick to my stomach.

"I know you, Freddie Mercury," Paul said, "better than anyone else."

I rolled my eyes. That claim was designated for Delilah. She knew me best, certainly not Paul. "That's what you think. No, you don't know me. You only see what you want to see."

I positioned my right hand awkwardly so that it was closer to my mouth. I figured this way it would take less energy for my voice to carry to break the cuff. I couldn't afford to be weakened in the middle of my grand escape. Unfortunately, Paul guessed my intentions. "If you break that second cuff, I'll kill her I swear!" He gestured back to the tank.

Clare swam back in fear nearly banging her head against the side of the tank. "Don't worry, darling." I told her. "I'm going to get you out of here somehow. I promise."

I glared up at Paul, trying to capture the same malice that Deaky put behind one of his death stares.

"Well I need to kill something. I can feel myself slipping. So start singing, or she'll pay the price." Paul threatened.

So much for the cowboy song symbolizing how far I had come. It seemed that as a muse I was destined for a miserable life and I was fooling myself to believe otherwise. If I crossed a million rivers and I rode a million miles then I'd still be where I started  
same as when I started.

_"Wither and decay..."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evil laugh! How is Freddie gonna get out of this one and will he save Clare? We will have to wait until the next chapter to find out...


	22. Let Me out of This Cheap B Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger comes to the rescue!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have it folks, the resolve for the cliffhanger, and probably the last chapter for a while because I start school on Monday. I hope the chapter will satisfy you. I'm not abandoning this story. I still have a lot more to write, but school will delay things. Right before school starts I'm seeing Queen and Adam Lambert tonight and I'm so excited I'm squealing!

_Roger's POV_

_Dear Clare,_

     _How are you and Mom holding up? Is everything okay? We're all good here, still on the farm I told you about in my last letter that you didn't return. You would love it here. There are so many land animals that you'd enjoy playing with. Freddie adopted a new cat, and I think Bri and I are going to adopt this dog we rescued if we can move into a bigger place with lots of open space where he'd be happy to roam free. After this album we might be able to afford it (fingers crossed). I really wish you were here, Clare. I'm super worried. You always write back within a week or less. Please listen to Mom and stay far from the surface. Not everyone up here is like Brian and the others. The horror stories you hear are true. I won't go into much detail although it might be a good idea to scare you against doing something stupid like I would. Don't be a rebel like me. Stay safe! I love y_

"Freddie's in trouble!" Deaky blurted.

I looked up from the letter I was writing, and Brian stopped strumming his guitar. It had been about ten minutes since Freddie went running after Rex. None of us had left the barn. We were just resting up and waiting for the frontman's return so we could continue recording his...operatic cowboy song. But if something bad did happen to Freddie, then it would be all my fault. I was the one who made Rex run off. It should have been me to go retrieve the dog.

"How do you know he's in trouble?" Brian asked.

"I-I just...I know. I can't explain it. We need to go find him." Deaky said frantically.

"Okay." Brian responded calmly. "He couldn't have gone far. We'll split up and all go looking for him in a different direction. We'll cover more ground that way, search the entire farm in a quicker amount of time."

"What kind of trouble is Freddie in?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I can sense that something isn't right. I'm scared." John squeaked, his lips trembling, nearly on the verge of tears.

"It's okay, John, slow deep breaths. In and out." Brian said gently. "Rog, why don't you start looking for Freddie while I help calm him down?"

I nodded. "You got it." I turned back at John who was complete mess, sobbing in Brian's arms. "I'm sure he's fine, Deaks." I tried to reassure him. "Maybe he just lost a shoe and you're sensing his distress over it. You know how Freddie overreacts to things."

Although I doubted their soul bond was triggered by something miniscule. Usually you could sense your other half's pain when something extremely tragic occurred. Now, however, I was questioning everything I knew about soulmates because of Clare's last letter disclosing our parents' lie and divorce. I cringed remembering her words written on that page.

_'...I hate to say this, but I have to be honest with you. I think this all coming out because of you. The other night I heard them yelling at each other on how to handle your "sudden disappearance". Apparently, Mom told the neighbors the truth, and Dad wanted to claim that Brian kidnapped you like a real hunter would. I finally figured out why they're so against your decision to live up there with him. They're not real soulmates. It was all a lie...'_

Fuck! That was going to haunt me even after I heard from Clare again which would hopefully be soon. I was going slightly mad wondering what could possibly keep her from writing me back. I shook my head and tried to focus on the task at hand. Where the hell could Freddie have gone?

I ventured through the field using my shitty land vision to scan the wide grassland stretching ahead of me. My eyes were great for exploring the depths of the ocean and murkiest of waters, but I found that I was irritatingly nearsighted when I was above sea level. Brian offered to take me to the ophthalmologist, but after he nearly died from a shot, I refused any more doctor appointments. Besides, I would look like such a bug eyed nerd with glasses and I didn't particularly fancy the idea of contacts supposedly drying out my eyes. They were dry enough already. So I put up with another part of myself not belonging here. All I saw was a vast green blur.

Something yellow popped out at me and it was moving at a rapid speed. "Rex!" I realized as I made out the dog's figure. He nearly collided with me, but stopped in time to drop a stick by my feet. Seemingly back to normal, he looked up at me and barked with his tail wagging. Freddie must have broken my spell which meant he was probably close by. "Freddie?" I called. Rex barked at me again, more aggressively this time. "Yeah, yeah. I'll throw your bloody stick just tell me where Freddie is." I tossed the stick and Rex ran back with it barking again. "Rex, where is Freddie?" I demanded. When the dog responded with another bark for me to throw the stick, I knew I had no other choice. It may be wrong, but making sure Freddie was safe was more important than keeping the extent of my powers in check.

" _Aaaaah!_ " I crooned, attempting to recreate my mistake from earlier. Sure enough, it worked like a charm! Rex stopped barking and his tail was no longer wagging. He looked up at me with a hypnotic blank stare. "Rex, take me to Freddie." I commanded.

I tried my best not to trip as I followed Rex who went bolting across the field at a speed I could barely keep up with. Finally, he stopped at the large fence leading to the outskirts. Why would Freddie have gone to the outskirts? Even I wasn't dumb enough to venture beyond the fence. Rex barked at me and then jumped over the fence in one easy leap. He stood at the other side, still holding that vacant look in his eyes as he barked at me to follow. I shook my head. This was nuts!

"Freddie, I swear with all the trouble you cost us, you owe me a pair of maracas!" I murmured as I slowly climbed the fence. I surprised myself with how capable my new legs were able to ascend. Rex, however, paid no attention to my little victory and proceeded to run through the dense dark forest. "Wait for me!" I called after him. Thankfully, my eyes did better in the darkness as it was similar to the deep surfaces beneath the waves where sunlight couldn't reach. I was able to move more proficiently and keep up with Rex. A bright glow in the distance interrupted my momentum. I blinked, trying to block out the light so I could see better. Then I realized that the illumination was coming from the balcony at the very top of an ominous tower. Rex sat down at the foot of the tower and barked. "Freddie's in there." I concluded. The tower was exactly as I imagined it, barren and gothic without a single door or window apart from the small balcony at the tippy top.

The glow faded as I got closer to Freddie's prison cell. "Are you satisfied now, darling?" I heard his faint but angry voice from above. "I sang it three fucking times for you. Is that enough to stop you from killing her?"

Her? Did Prenter have  _two_ people hostage up there? I had to help them somehow, but what could I do? The last time I faced Paul, I needed the help of Freddie alongside Brian and John to get out alive.

"There is something alive down there. It smells like another siren." I heard Paul speak. "I know how much you love having company over, Farrokh. So why don't you bring our guest up."

"You mean  _sing_ our guest up?" Freddie responded sassily. There was a slight hesitation, but soon the glow returned and it was accompanied by Freddie's heavenly voice. The magic furled itself around me and hoisted me up into the air and I flew up onto the balcony.

The first thing I saw was Paul looming over Freddie oddly enough giving the shirtless muse a back massage. However, Freddie did not seem to be enjoying the fingers trailing across his back. His right hand was cuffed to the bed frame and there were tears welled up in his brown eyes.

"Roggie." Freddie choked, his voice sounding nothing short of exhausted. "I'm sorry. He would've killed Clare if I didn't bring you up here. Please forgive me."

Clare? Freddie was delirious from overusing his magic. My baby sister was safe at home and far from this demon.

"ROGER!"

Going completely numb, I turned to the tank adjacent to the bed. There she was, the innocent blonde blue tailed mermaid who wouldn't hurt a plankton, encaged like a shark. My heart shattered into a million pieces. How the hell did this happen? I didn't want to believe it was true. It was my worst nightmare seeing Clare entrapped like this. I was the one who got myself into deep water, not her. Why wasn't I there to protect her this time around? Clare banged against the glass and called my name again.

"Oh Clare!" I nearly sobbed. I ran to her placing my palm against the glass as if the barrier wasn't blocking me from touching hers.

"I'm so sorry."  Freddie said again weakly, his eyes fluttering shut.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault, Fred." I wasn't sure if he heard me as he had fallen unconscious.

"Shh. Let my muse rest up his voice." Paul kissed his cheek. "Such a pretty muse."

"Fuck off you creeper!" I shouted.

"Careful, Roggie. Don't anger him." Clare's voice was muffled. "He could kill you!"

"No." Paul stepped away from Freddie. "I wouldn't kill you. You're much too valuable. Besides, Farrokh will be less tempted to run from me again if he has a friend to keep him company."

 _"_ You're mad! You might as well just imprison our entire bloody band." I cried.

"Roger, shush! Don't give him any ideas." Clare hissed.

"Let's see, your band also consists of the hunter who won't stay dead and Farrokh's inferior shapeshifting soulmate. Neither of them will be of much use to me, especially not that nasty shapeshifter. The markings are meaningless. It may be  _his_ name on my muse's arm, but  _he_ wasn't there for him when he was dying and crying himself to sleep every night. I was the one who saved him. I was the one who cared for him over the last decade. I'm the one who loves him."

While Paul was busy raving like a buffoon about how he'd make a better match for Freddie than his actual soulmate, I took advantage of his distracted state. I punched him in the face as hard as I could.I grinned when I heard a crack. Maybe I managed to break a bone or two. His nose was bleeding, but I was told that was normal of surface dwellers because of the above water altitude. Paul made a grab for me before I could retaliate again.He held me up by the neck and dangled me over the tank.

"I'm sure the both of you could fit in there quite comfortably and you'll finally be united with your dear sister as I've been united with my sweet muse. It'll be a happy life for the four of us. You'll sing for me when Farrokh isn't feeling up to it."

I looked down into the water where Clare was already cramped with barely enough room to swim. If I was small enough to fit in a cupboard, this might not be as bad as it looked. But that did give me an idea that was possibly insane. There was no way it would ever work, but I had no other plans so it was worth a shot. Brian would probably come up with a much more brilliant scheme if he were here, but he wasn't. It was up to me to outsmart the demon and save the day.

"I-I can fit...in a cupboard." I wheezed as Paul's grip around my neck seemed to tighten. I pointed to the cupboard in between the cabinets. The grip slowly loosened as Paul stared at me somewhat bewildered by my arbitrary statement. Oh God! I prayed he was dumb enough to fall for this fucking stupid idea.  _"_ Make myself into a little ball so that I don't take upany space." I continued. "It's a talent really. Claustrophobia doesn't apply to me in the slightest. So I don't think throwing me into a small tank alongside Clare will torture me much. I dare you to find a tight space that will make me miserable like you want, but that tank is a pleasure cruise to me."

Paul let me go and I fell to the floor with a thud. "Challenge accepted." He took the bait. "You're such a big talking small fry let's see how you react when I shove you into that cupboard like you desire."

Yes! This was working! I just needed to keep up the act. My theatrical skills were nowhere near as on par with that of Freddie's, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I snorted and rolled my eyes. _"_ I already told you I can easily fit in there. Give me a difficult spot where I might even get stuck."

"You are so full of shit!" Paul shouted. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, but so help me I will stuff you into that cupboard like a can of sardines."

"No need." I said flippantly. "I'll go in there willingly." I opened the door to the cupboard as wide as it would go and peered inside. "This is child's play." I downplayed the task as I lowered myself and squeezed my body into the small space. "Anyone can fit in here even Brian and he's a fucking giant."

"You say that now, but what happens when I lock you in there." Paul threatened. As his hand reached to close the door, I reached up and latched onto his arm. With the strength and agility I used to stealthily lug stolen drums down tothe ocean floor, I yanked Paul and flung him over my back, crawling beneath him in the process. We officially traded places. Paul was the one packed into the cupboard in an uncomfortable position while I was crouched on the other side.

"Enjoy your stay!" I laughed as I slammed the door in his face. Just to be on the safe side, I locked the door and shoved the armchair in front of it.

Brian would be so proud of me! I solved my problem with wits instead of violence. Well I did punch Paul but that didn't count.

"Are you okay, Roger?" Clare took me out of my thoughts.

 _"_ I'm only okay if you are. How did this happen?" I eyed the tank, trying to form a plan to get her out of there.

"Well...Mom and Dad were arguing over who would get custody of me until I'm eighteen. I just thought it would make things easier for them if I wasn't such a burden, so I swam away...and the next thing I knew, I was caught in a net."

I had to wipe those horrid thoughts from her mind. She had no right to think so lowly of herself. "You're never a burden, Clare. This whole thing might be my fault like you said, but it's certainly not yours. You're perfect, and don't you dare think otherwise. Now I'm going to get you out of here."

"How? There's an astounding lack of water out there."

 _"_ Here's how." I retrieved the pill bottle from my pocket. "Swim to the top of the tank and hold out your hand." I instructed.

Understanding what the suppressants would do to her, Clare looked down at her tail with a bit of uncertainty. "I'm scared, Roggie." She admitted. "Will it hurt?"

"Not really, more of a tingling. I promise you'll be fine. It's the only way I can get you out of here safely and that's all that matters to me." 

Clare reluctantly took a pill and swallowed it. I grabbed hold of her hands to help her stay afloat during the transition from mermaid to human. Within a few moments, her blue scales melted away into pale skin, and the fin was split apart into two thrashing legs. She screamed, but I knew it was out of shock rather than pain. "It's okay." I reassured her and pulled her out of the water, giving her a tight hug. I felt like sobbing alongside her when I felt her tears running down my shoulder. "No, Clare, please don't cry. We're going to be alright." 

"I know." She whispered. "It was just so frightening...and you live in this world now, Roggie. You ended up here too. What's to stop something bad from happening to you at any moment?" 

"It's different." I told her. "Sure, this world is messed up, but there are also some amazing things about it, and I'm not going to let the bad stuff ruin what has been the best time of my life. Honestly, Clare, I don't remember a time I was ever this happy. So take comfort in that and know that I can get myself out of this tricky situations and I have my band to watch over my back. Speaking of which..." 

I pulled the bed sheet off of the mattress where Freddie was lying. "Surface dwellers won't approve of you walking around wearing only shells. I have no problem with it, but you should use this to cover up for now." 

Then I approached Freddie who appeared to be completely passed out. I shook him gently attempting to wake him. "Freddie, you need to get up!" I cried. "Don't make me scream in your face again!" 

He suddenly stirred. "I'm up, darling." He slurred eyes still closed. "D-Don't scream...I just need some rest." 

"No, we don't have time for rest." I protested. "You need to sing to get us down." 

Freddie slowly blinked open his eyes, groaning slightly as he sat up. "W-Where's Paul? What happened?" 

"I took care of him. Do you have the energy to escape because there's no way we can make that jump without you. It's suicide even for people who have been walking since they were babies, and Clare's legs are even newer than mine." I glanced back at my sister who was stumbling around on her new two feet while trying to keep the bed sheet securely wrapped around her body. 

"First thing's first. Clare, darling, let meet treat you to the fashion of the land world. You need a proper welcome." Freddie cleared his throat and sang a melody. The bed sheet fell off revealing a frilly white sundress that somehow seemed to capture her style and bubbly spirit precisely. 

"Oh, Freddie!" Clare attempted to twirl around in it, but fell. She giggled and got back up again. "It's beautiful, I love it!" 

"It looks great, but it was a waste of your energy." I exclaimed. "Come on, Freddie! It's only a matter of time until Paul breaks out of the cupboard."

"WHAT?" Freddie snickered. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not joking?" He noticed the chair parked in front of the cupboard and soon his laughter was replaced by a shudder. "Alright. Let's get the fuck out of this cheap B movie."  He tugged at the handcuff chaining him to the bed frame and with a powerful "AY-OH!", it shattered, freeing him. "Give me a moment please." Freddie panted, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Believe me, darling, I'm trying to work up the energy to bust us out of here. I'm just a bit drained at the moment." 

"It's alright, Freddie. You take as much time as you need." Clare said gently. I was more impatient knowing that any moment, the demon would gain the strength to break free from his temporary entrapment. But I couldn't put any more pressure on poor Freddie. Asking him to overuse his powers would make me no worse than Paul or the scientists. 

"I believe I'm ready." Freddie exhaled at last. I grinned. "Ready Freddie?" I patted him on the back to show my support. 

Both of us helped Clare walk over to the balcony. "On the count of three, we jump, and I'll sing us down safely." Freddie instructed. 

"A-Are you sure?" Clare bit down on her lip nervously. "We can trust him." I said. "Let's do this!" 

"1,2...3!" 

Freddie and I jumped with our hands linked to Clare's so we dragged her down with us. As we tumbled to the ground, Freddie crooned a powerful note allowing our descent to slow making the final landing a peaceful float in which we ended up on our feet unharmed. "Brilliant!" I exclaimed. 

"Oooh! Furry land fish like the ones you described in your letters!" Clare spotted Rex and she had the cutest little smile on her face. "Is he safe to pet, Roggie?" 

Rex was still under my spell, so he wouldn't react to Clare cuddling with him. Therefore, I saw no problem with it because there was no risk of her getting bitten. "Go ahead." I prompted. 

"My cats would tell you otherwise, but he's been somewhat friendly lately. Just no sudden movements because he gets spooked easily." Freddie advised. He frowned when he saw how dormant Rex was despite Clare running her hands through his yellow furry coat. "Roger, did you siren him again?" 

"I needed his help to find you." I cried. "Please don't tell Brimi. I don't want him mad at me." 

"I'm too tired to reverse the spell again. It's a miracle I'm still awake and functioning. Let's just get back to the civilization so I can rest and maybe have some tea for my throat. Then we can figure out what to do with Rex and finally finish my cowboy song." 

Now I was helping both Clare and a drained Freddie stumble through the outskirts with Rex following us through my command. How would these two make it back over the fence? Clare was practically limping and Freddie was beyond exhausted. Just when I thought things couldn't get much worse, I tripped over my own two feet. Because I was holding the duo steady, they fell down with me. 

"I'm sorry!" I realized when I landed on what felt like someone's leg. However, there was nothing beneath me and Freddie and Clare were both behind me. The outskirts were dark, but how could I be so blind like this? I reached out cluelessly, expecting to grasp nothing more than air, but I got a fistful of a soft smooth texture. "Ow! Rog, stop! You're tugging at my hair!" 

"John?" I gasped. 

He appeared in front of me now on the ground with his leg situated beneath my body. I had tripped over him! 

"Deaky!" Freddie nearly knocked me off of him. "Oh, my love! What happened? Is your mark still intact? Are you glitching again?" 

"No...I...this isn't a glitch. At least I don't think it is. I did it consciously." He shut his eyes and in a flash he vanished again. 

"Miraculous!" Freddie exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the invisible man. Deaky reappeared and casually stood up, dusting himself off. "Hello, Clare. It's good to see you again. How are you liking dry land?" 

"It's very...adventurous." Clare stated. "Um can  _all_ surface dwellers turn invisible or is it just you?" 

John laughed. "I think it's just me. I didn't even know I could do it either. I just had this gut feeling that Freddie was in serious danger. So I--"

"--I'm okay. I'm here." Freddie hugged him again. "I love you so much, Deaky." 

"Ah, sweetheart, I love you too. You really scared me. I felt it, right down in my bones. Whatever peril you were in couldn't have happened on the farm. I knew you were in the outskirts, but it was too dangerous for me to go looking for you. But I thought maybe I could disguise myself or somehow camouflage myself so demons and hunters wouldn't catch me. I discovered that my invisibility is a part of shapeshifting! I can still do it!" He flickered in out of sight each time returning with a bigger and bigger smile. 

"You're so adorable. I can't stand it!" Freddie squealed. 

With John offering Freddie someone else to lean on, we were able to move at a quicker pace. Within no time, we made it to the fence. Clare stared up at the daunting fence as Freddie and Deaky made slow but steady progress. "Roggie, I don't think I can do this." 

"I'll help you." I said, but the moment I released my arm from around her waist, she stumbled and nearly fell. Her feet were so wobbly. There was no way she was steady enough to climb. 

"Don't worry!" Freddie shouted from the other side of the fence. He took a deep breath, and with his weakened voice provided just enough magic to lift Clare over the fence successfully. He unfortunately collapsed in the grass before he could sing me over as well. I was left to climb on my own, which I did, and Rex followed. 

***

"I can't believe Mom never taught you her famous sea tea recipe, Roggie." Clare laughed as she prepared the sea herbs in the boiling water. She figured it would be a good remedy for Freddie's temporary lack of energy that we could all enjoy with him. 

"Darling, you really don't need to go through all this effort  for me." Freddie sighed, trying to keep his head up. "I just need some rest." 

"It's no trouble at all." She replied, handing him the teacup filled with special underwater herbs and spices that Clare had managed to gather from the pond. I doubted it would work as well with the freshwater vegetation, but I did miss the taste of home. I took a teacup for myself and gave one to Brian. "It's completely vegetarian." I assured him. 

Freddie, Brian, and John all sipped their sea tea smoothly without any problems, but Clare and I both coughed it back up. "Wow! This is missing all the salt!" I cried in disgust. 

"Well I feel bloody fantastic!" Freddie proclaimed, instantly perking up. "Best tea I've ever had!" 

"It's pretty good. "Brian agreed and John nodded. 

Freddie downed the rest of his tea like a shot. Oh why did he choose now of all times to stop acting so posh and well versed in etiquette. Clare and I both gasped in horror, knowing the effects sea tea could have if you drank too much too quickly. We both thought it was common knowledge even above water, but we were wrong. 

"OH YEAH!" Freddie shouted, jumping up onto the table, knocking down the Scrabble board. "I've never felt so alive!"

"Freddie, you're high as a kite right now." I warned. "Try not to do anything you'll regret when it wares off." 

"It makes you high?" Brian cried, putting his teacup down. 

"Not if you drink it very slowly in small sips." Clare explained. "He'll come down within an hour or two, but until then we just have to make sure he doesn't do anything destructive." 

"How could I ever be destructive? I'm sweet as a kitty cat. Delilah, look at me, honey, I'm you!" He got down on all fours and meowed. 

"Freddie Meowcury." John cooed patting his head. "You've got to admit, he's cute when he's high."

Freddie purred and nestled his way onto Deaky's lap. "I'm not as cute as you. Why didn't I get you a bloody ring yet?" 

"You did. It's right here, remember?" John held up his hand and gestured to the ring. Freddie kissed his finger repeatedly. "Freddie, stop! That tickles!" 

"He seems pretty harmless." Brian noted. "I don't think we have anything to worry about." 

"I'm going to get you a  _real_ ring, darling." Freddie exclaimed. "One that won't disappear at midnight." He jumped to his feet and scooped a protesting Deaky up into his arms. "Come on, darling. I'm going to drive us to the nearest town ten miles away and seek out a jeweler and find the most precious gem for you no matter what it costs." 

"Freddie, you don't know how to drive." Brian argued. 

"That's okay, Deaky will drive us...." Freddie laughed and touched Deaky's nose out of nowhere, guffawing like it was the funniest thing in the world. There were actual tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. 

"High as a kite." I repeated. 

"I'll drive you to get the ring, but you have to put me down first." Deaky said. 

"Are you really getting a ring?" I asked. "I thought you were going to wait until you could afford one."

John shrugged as Freddie lowered him to the ground. "I have a feeling we'll be able to pay for it after this album comes out and to be honest I'm starting to believe Freddie when he says I deserve to be spoiled." His cheeks turned bright red as he admitted this fact. 

"You do deserve to be spoiled." Freddie exclaimed. "Spoiled and pampered and spoiled." 

"They'll be fine." I assured a worrisome Brian as the soulmates left. "You know now that we're on the topic of rings..." I stared up at him, expectantly. He had to know that I loved him more than anything else in this world. 

"Oh, Roggie." Brian thankfully realized what I was asking. "When the time is right, it will happen." He took my hand and squeezed it gently. "I love you, honey." 

"I love you too, Brimi." I replied, but that answer to my unasked question wouldn't satisfy me for much longer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Is there a future proposal coming up? Will Freddie get Deaky a real ring as promised? Now I'm off to the Queen concert! I haven't been this excited for anything in a long long time!!!


	23. One Year of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian is planning a surprise for Roger, but he forgets that it's also Freddie and Deaky's anniversary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a super fluffy chapter! School is hard. Enough said. For those of you still here, thank you!!! I'm squealing over 5k hits! That's crazy!!!  
> ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> Anyway I realize as I'm drafting this that the timeline really is messed up even though this story is obviously fictional as I continue to stress. I've basically crammed Queen's career from 1970-1975 into 1971-1972. What can I say? I like to keep the boys with their cute 70s long haircuts for as long as possible. It is easier for me to write them if they're closer to my own age (I'm in my early 20s). At this rate I might have a pre-mustache Freddie performing at Live Aid. IDK. As long as you're okay with it I'm just gonna continue being very loose with the timeline. Sorry not sorry!🙃

_Brian's POV_

There was nothing quite like touring. A Night at the Opera was receiving a better reception than any of us had ever imagined. We were playing for sold out audiences night after night, and they all knew the words to our songs.It was rather surreal.Traveling all around the civilization and exploring a new location nearly every other day was thrilling.I just couldn't wrap my head around the adrenaline filled adventurous days we'd have together as real successful rockstars. I was living in a fantasy, a dream I never wanted to leave.

Of course touring was also exhausting, and sleep was becoming a fleeting but necessary luxury. One rare afternoon before a show, I found myself with a full hour of open time. As such, the very first thing I did was treat myself to the chocolate on the pillow and collapse onto the king sized Ritz bed and close my eyes.

Just when I began to relax and doze off, the alarm I set to wake myself up from my nap went off. The bed was even more comfortable and consuming than before, and I knew precisely why. Without even opening my eyes I leaned into the warmth of the smaller body curled against mine and smiled.

' _You are so lame, Bri. Naps are for babies and old people. That's what we'll do when we're still touring in our 70s. Now we're in our 20s. Act like it! We can finally afford the Ritz. Let's live it up like true rockstars. We should go crash the bar or do something crazy!'_

"I'm glad you changed your mind and decided to come nap with me." I whispered to the blonde who was fast asleep in my arms. "You need your rest. We have a big night ahead of us with a surprise in store that I'm hoping you'll love."

I gently brushed my lips up against Roger's soft pink ones, tasting the remnants of the chocolate that had disappeared from the adjoining pillow. It was rather amazing that Roger trusted me enough to allow himself to fall asleep next to me without a protective encasing of water surrounding his neck. There was always that chance he could suffocate in his sleep. It made me feel so special and loved to have Roger be so vulnerable with me. How the little angel could look so peaceful was beyond me. I was considering buying us a waterbed to make life easier in our anticipated new home. With the money rolling in from tour revenue and the record album sales, it was safe to say that sleeping on the sidewalk was nowhere near a concern of ours anymore.

Freddie claimed to have purchased a luxurious mansion surrounded by a garden that he and Deaky would be moving into when we returned from touring. Somehow I believed he wasn't exaggerating. On the other hand, I wanted to explore my options together with Roger instead of making such a spontaneous decision. John was shocked but ultimately accepting of Freddie's brash choice, however I could imagine Roger getting upset with me if I didn't include him in the process of searching for a new home. Therefore, I booked an appointment for us to meet with a real estate agent after the tour, but we'd most likely move in somewhere very close to Freddie's alleged new mansion. I wanted the four of us to stay together as much as possible even though we drove each other mad. There was something inexplicably special about our dynamic. Call it a kind of magic if you will, but whatever it was we had, I refused to split up our little family.

And after tonight, two particular members of the Queen family would become even closer than before. I reached into my pocket, ensuring that the small box was still there and ready to go. I would leave it in the lap of the gods now and hope that when the moment of truth arrived I wouldn't chicken out and everything would go perfectly as planned.

My heart stopped when a pair of sparkling blue eyes met mine. I removed my hand from my pocket, praying that Roger wouldn't notice. It would ruin the surprise if he uncovered the gift too early.

He yawned in my face making me laugh. "Hope you don't mind I joined you for that nap of yours." Roger said.

"Of course I don't mind. You're always more than welcomed."I assured him. I gave him a soft kiss before stepping out of his embrace. "C'mon. We can't be late for sound check."

I had to pull an unwilling Roger out of bed. "Five more minutes." He groaned, flinging his pillow in retaliation. I dodged it, and it landed on the floor. We couldn't check out of any hotel without Roger tossing something across the room. At least this time it wasn't anything breakable or messy.

"What do I have to do to convince you to get up?" I sighed as I reached down to pick up the pillow.

I could just envision Roger's mischievous smirkas he took advantage of my hunched over position and jumped up onto my back. He latched his arms around my neck. "I refuse to walk. You need to carry me everywhere on your back."

Most of the time Roger drove me crazy in a good way. Now was not one of those times. "There is no way I'm piggybacking you all the way to the stadium."

"Pretty please."He begged in the smallest sweetest voice imaginable. "My legs are tired. I've only had them for a year, remember? So they're nowhere near as strong as your legs, which are so nice and long by the way. I just love 'em. I'm sure they'll be able to support your own weight plus a little stowaway on your back. You won't even know I'm here. I don't weigh too much."

"Fine." I caved. "But only for a little while."

"You know I love you." Roger cooed.

"Yes." I couldn't help but smile. "I love you too, and that's the only reason you can get away with this kind of stuff."

I prepared myself for the ridicule we'd receive for walking into Freddie and Deaky's room next door with Roger on my back. We all had each other's key cards, but I knocked anyway out of common decency. I did not want to barge in on those two lovebirds as I had in the past.

"John, Freddie, are you ready to head down and go for sound check?" I called.

Freddie opened the door. I peered inside and spotted Deaky asleep on the bed and an abandoned sketchbook left open on the table. I couldn't quite make out the design on the page, but it was safe to say that Freddie was drawing his lover in his sleep which was somehow more flattering than creepy because it was coming from Freddie with the best intentions.

"My darlings!" Freddie proclaimed, covering his toothy grin with his hand. "You look so cute together! Can you pose for me just like that and let me draw you?"

"We don't have time. We're going to be late." I said.

"Sound check can wait. I have a feeling you'll want every moment from today to be snapshotted." Freddie said with a wink.

"Why?" Roger blurted. "What's so special about today?"

"Nothing." I said a little too defensively. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Freddie knew what I had planned for tonight. If he ruined the surprise, I wasn't sure what I'd do to him.

"Today is my anniversary in case you forgot, which I know you did." Freddie announced. "But it's also the anniversary of the day a certain siren and a certain hunter first met."

"You did exchange your vows with John the day we met Roger!" I realized "Shit! I completely forgot. I'm so sorry. I didn't get you anything or--"

"--It's alright. Considering the date, I know you had  _other_ things on your mind." I followed Freddie's gaze to the sparkling ring on Deaky's finger engraved with the words  _'Love of my life'._ He needed to be more subtle, but now I was no longer concerned about spoiling Roger's surprise. I was just mad at myself for being such a lousy friend to Freddie and John.

"I promise by the end of the day I'll make it up to you somehow." I vowed.

"I will hold you to your word." Freddie stated.

"Well I have no excuse." Roger lowered himself from my back. "I'm sorry that I forgot. Instead of just giving you false promises like  _some_ people," The look he gave me told me he was teasing, "I'm going to ask right now. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I'll allow it this time because after tonight you will  _never_ forget this anniversary date or there will be hell to pay. Isn't that right, Brian?"

"I-I haven't a clue what you're talking about." I lied. Freddie might as well have just said that after tonight we'd be sharing an anniversary date. This was probably my punishment for forgetting about him and Deaky. He seemed determined to give every hint imaginable to ruin what I had planned.

"We should really get going." I said, trying to take Roger's attention away from anniversaries and romance so he wouldn't figure out what was in store for him.

Freddie gently nudged John's shoulders. "Deaky, darling, wake up my love. It's time for sound check." He sleepily obliged, giving Freddie a soft kiss as he got out of bed.

"This is adorable and all, but I'm sick of the sap." Roger said. "Let's get on with the rock and roll! That's what we're here for after all."

"Yes." I exclaimed. "Tonight is about the music and absolutely nothing else." I really needed to get my lying skills in check because that was horrible.

Thankfully, a phone call distracted Roger. Eagerly Freddie went to answer it before any of us could even react to the ring. "Delilah, darling, is that you?...Oh!" The disappointment on his face was palpable when it was presumably not the cat on the other end. Poor Freddie was having a difficult time on this tour since allowing a pleading Delilah to stay back with Romeo. They were being watched by Mary who had two cats of her own for them to play with.

"Yes, Miami, I know. We'll be downstairs ready to go in a few minutes. I..." Freddie gasped. "Really?" He nodded in shock, his face going pale. Whatever Miami was telling him was big news. "Um..." Freddie choked, barely able to compose himself. "Yes, yes, we'll be down right away."

"Freddie, you're crying." Deaky observed, snaking his arms around him protectively. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"N-No...nothing's wrong. Everything is absolutely perfect! I just can't bloody believe this is happening to me...to us!" Freddie squealed.

I was tempted to intrude on Freddie's mind and see what it was that had him so flustered, but I gave him his privacy. He would announce the news to us when he was ready.

"I'm dying. Tell us already! What did Miami say?" Roger insisted as we made our way to the elevator.

"I want you all to think about anyone and everyone who ever told us no. Said that we were crazy and we could never make it. Called us freaks, told us we belonged in labs, nets, or in the outskirts."

My mind went to Ray Foster who had the audacity to insinuate that I didn't write any of the songs on the albums because I was nothing more than a dumb hunter. I wasn't sure why Freddie was making us recall our hardships. Ever since we released A Night at the Opera under our own negotiations with Miami's help, we were surpassing everyone's expectations and seeking the rewards. We made it the top and there was no looking back!

"They were all wrong." Freddie said. "Bohemian Rhapsody is the number one song in the civilization right now. We did it! We proved that four aging queens who don't really belong anywhere can rock the world!"

The doors to the elevator opened as the wonderful news sank in. We were the biggest band in the civilization! It was a lot to accept. Roger was the first to scream, but it wasn't his usual high pitched shrill, this one was a shriek of joy. I wasn't sure which one of us was the first to initiate our huddled jumping party, but the next thing I knew, all four of us were excitedly jumping up and down, crying, and hugging in an explosion of emotional celebration. Then the elevator stopped moving cutting our joy short. 

"Fuck!" Roger shouted.

"My God! We're the number one group in the civilization and we're going to suffocate in this damn lift!" Freddie cried.

"The important thing is to stay calm." I instructed. "I'm sure help will arrive in no time at all and panicking won't do us any good." I spoke too little too late; the other three were already hysterical. John was hyperventilating, Roger was screaming, and Freddie was sobbing.

"Oh this is horrible! We're going to miss our concert and let down all of our fans!" Freddie wailed.

"We're going to die in here aren't we?" Roger shouted.

"Stop being so dramatic both of you! You're scaring Deaky!" I scolded.

"I-I'm sorry...I don't have my tools. I can't open up that electrical box and fix it. We're g-going to die in here because of me." Deaky cried.

"We're not going to die." I reassured him. "It'll just be an hour at most of claustrophobia. I promise we'll be fine."

"And even if we do die, it's most certainly not your fault, darling." Freddie ran a soothing hand up and down John's back to comfort him.

Meanwhile Roger was attempting to yank open the electrical box with his hands. I pulled him away. "Honey, that is not a good idea. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"But if I can get it open, then Deaky can do some meddling with the wires and get us out of here!" He reasoned.

"But I don't have my tools." Deaky repeated, shaking his head. "It's hopeless."

"It's alright, dear." Freddie sighed. "We'll just have to wait it out even if we do end up missing the concert."

"Um, I wanted to give you my anniversary gift later tonight, but it looks like we'll be stuck in here for a while. A-and if we do die in here...I want you to have it. I-Is that okay?" John stammered. 

I still had my own gift for Roger in my pocket. I knew I couldn't let the anxieties of the other three get to me, but it was possible that we could die in here. What if I perished before I could exchange my vows with my soulmate? We'd never be properly united. Should I give him his surprise now? What was the difference of a few hours?

Deaky beat me to it, however, getting down on one knee and presenting Freddie with a ring. "Farrokh, I know we're already married and bound as soulmates, but I don't want to be the only one wearing a ring. Happy anniversary, love. Will you accept my ring?"

"Of course. You don't even need to ask. This is so beautiful, darling. I'm so lucky to have you. I love you so much, John." Freddie examined the diamond matching the one on Deaky's hand. "Just you and I." He read the engraving.

"I know it's not as romantic as love of my life, but I couldn't come up with anything better." Deaky murmured.

"Don't be silly. I love it!"

As Freddie lunged in for a kiss, the elevator jolted. We were moving again! Freddie laughed while John and I applauded.

Oddly enough Roger was silent. He stood in the corner of the elevator looking so very small and sad. Why was my sweet siren so upset all of a sudden? It hurt my heart. "Roggie, we're getting out!" I exclaimed. "Yes." He stated coldly. "It looks like we are."

***

I just couldn't figure out what I did to get Roger so mad at me. The whole ride to the stadium he wouldn't say a word to me. He continued to shy away from my touches while Freddie and Deaky were unabashedly holding each other and making out. I loved them and I was happy for them, but I wish they would just give it a break already. Seeing their perfect relationship on full display like that just reminded me of what I was missing out on. And up until the elevator ordeal, I  _did_  have that heavenly relationship with my other half. So what the hell happened? How could it all come crashing down so quickly? I thought Roger and I were fine, better than fine even. Did I do something to mess up what we had?

I watched Roger, tuning his drums with a look of deep concentration on his face. Until I met Roger, I wasn't even aware that you could tune a drum like other instruments, but he taught me how.Despite him putting down his own intelligence and touting me as the smart one, I had to say Roger was very clever and I learned a lot from him. He was so much more than just a pretty face. Yes, he had a temper and was quick to anger, but for something to bother him like this it had to be very serious.

I caught Roger's eyes as he looked up from the drums. I smiled back warmly at him trying to return to his good graces. He didn't smile back, but instead approached me apprehensively.

"I think we need to talk." He stated in that same monotone voice he had been using since we escaped the elevator. It was freaky. Roger was usually so animated.

I glanced back at Freddie who was making crude gestures with his microphone to get Deaky to blush. They wouldn't mind if we stepped out for a few minutes.

I nodded and followed Roger into a secluded backstage hallway. "What's going on?" I asked.

"I've been thinking, Brimi." Roger sighed vulnerably. "We've known each other for exactly a year now. You make me feel special and I love you more than anything, but I just can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" I questioned.

"Wait around for you to make it official. Why can't we exchange our vows already? It's unheard of for soulmates to go this long withoutgetting married. I'm ready for this commitment. I've been ready from the day I moved on land permanently. I don't know what more you want from me."

"Rog—"

" **—** Unless the next words out of your mouth are will you marry me, I don't want to fucking hear it!"

Where was this sudden hostility coming from? All Roger needed to do was wait a few more hours, but it felt like I already ran out of time. From his phrasing, Roger seemed to say that if I didn't propose right now he would end things between us. But that was just ridiculous. We were soulmates. That should mean something regardless of our unspoken vows. The marks spoke for themselves.

"What is wrong with me?" Roger shouted. "The average soulmates exchange their vows within three months of knowing each other. Fred and Deaky only dated for a month, and now Deaky got to propose a second time. We're a year out, Bri, a fucking year! You keep telling me to be patient, but there has to be more to it than that. So what is it? Why don't you want to make what we have official and permanent? Do you not want your scent merged with a siren? Is that it?"

"No!" I cried. "I want to get rid of my scent altogether. I hate it and everything it represents. If anything I'd want to smell like a full siren or anything other than a hunter." I was getting off track. I needed to speak my mind now or else risk losing the love of my life. I took a deep breath. "This has nothing to do with you, Roggie.It's all me. I'm an idiot for waiting to the point of losing you and you deserve better. I don't know why I waited this long to bound myself to you.I was going to surprise you tonight in the middle of my guitar solo, but it's not worth having you doubt yourself any longer. You were made for me Roger Meddows Taylor, and I don't want to be with anyone else.Forgive me for not doing this much sooner." As I got down on one knee,I realized how blind I was. What was I waiting for? A home of our own? I was already home in Roger's arms. "My brilliant, witty,and gorgeous siren," I retrieved the ring box from my pocket, "will you marry me?"

"Shit! I wasn't expecting to actually get through to you. I love you, you beautiful moron. I always have and I always will." He leaned down, giving me a sincere and passionate kiss before taking the ring.

A warm sensation jolted the back of my neck where my soul mark was located. Roger winced slightly and I saw that the tattoo of my name was now boldened on his hand, more evident than before.

"We did it!" Roger squealed kissing me again "We're married!"

Although Roger's siren scent was masked by the suppressants, it was now mixed with hunter. It was real. I was staring at no longer my boyfriend, but my husband!

"Ring fits perfectly too." Roger noted slipping the delicate jewelry onto his finger. It was a rounded gold ring with an ocean blue sapphire in the center matching Roger's bright eyes."So much more unique than Fred and Deaky's cliche diamonds. I'm going to flaunt this baby in their faces and make them jealous!"

I wouldn't expect anything else from my new husband. I shook my head unable to contain my grin as I followed Roger back to the stage.

"Ay-Oh!" Freddie was warming up his vocals. Strangely enough he managed to do it without a glow even though the Red Special was left alone on her perch.

"Ay-Oh!" Roger sang back in a higher octave, waving his ringed hand.

"Ay--Oh my God!" Freddie dropped the mic and came running to check out my gift. "Is that what I think it is? Brimi, I thought you were going to propose during your guitar solo what made you change your mind and do it early?" 

"I kind of forced it." Roger admitted shamelessly. I nodded and put an arm around him fondly. "The point is we did it, and I couldn't be happier." I announced. 

"I'm so excited for you two!" Deaky shouted.

"It's about goddamn time!" Freddie proclaimed.

"Look at that sapphire sparkle under the stage lights." Roger exclaimed. "It's like the stars, and it was given to my by the brightest star of them all." I couldn't tell if he was flirting with me or attempting to make Freddie and John jealous. 

"Now that we all have the same anniversary date, if anyone of us ever forgets it, he will be shamed." Freddie laughed.

"Hang on let me write that down in the rule book." Deaky said retrieving a pocket sized notebook.

"You keep a rule book?" Roger scoffed.

"Yes of course I do. Doesn't everyone?" He looked around at our confused faces.

"No, John. Let me see that for a moment." I said, taking the book from him. I flipped through it curiously.

' _Don't harm the coffee machine.' ...'Never touch the Red Special without Brian's permission.' ... 'Keep Roger away from water while in public' ... 'Always carry magic suppressant pills on person.' ... 'Badgers and cats can do no wrong' ... 'Only borrow Freddie's makeup if you have his permission' ..._ Most of them were harmless, but when I went further back, they became more sinister. ' _Don't call him sir?' 'You're allowed to look him in the eye?' 'You're allowed to talk back?'_ The question marks just reminded me how foreign my kindness was to him when we first met. I shut the book and handed it back to Deaky, not wanting to go any further back to see what kind of horrid conditions he was living under before I found him.

"This thing is fucking ridiculous!" Freddie shouted snatching it back from John and throwing it on the floor.

"Rules are important, Freddie." Deaky said.

"They are." I agreed. "But trust is more important."

"So you just write down all these unofficial things we say? I've probably broken about half of these supposed rules just today alone." Roger remarked.

"You touched the Red Special?" I accused.

Roger held up the ring again shoving his hand in my face. "We're married! What's yours is mine."

 "Don't make me ask for a divorce just ten minutes into the marriage." I said jokingly. I'd never actually leave him. 

"Ooh that reminds me of a good rule." John said, picking the book back up. ' _Never ask for a divorce.'_

"Aah, Deaks, that is so sweet of you, my love, but I don't like these rules at all. I want you to know that none of us would ever ever hurt you or punish you or...I don't even want to consider it." Freddie took back the notebook one last time and flung it into the trash.

"Old habits die hard I guess." Deaky shrugged.

John had come so far since the day I found him trembling beneath that park bench. Still, there were small things I could do to reinforce his progress. So, I took the Red Special and extended it John as a sort of symbolic offering. "We're family, Deaky. We may get mad at you from time to time, but we love you and would never dream of harming you. So go ahead and play if you'd like. I promise nothing bad will happen."

"Bri!" John gasped. "This is your baby. I couldn't possibly."

"Please, just to show you that there is no need to keep track of rules and to erase the possibility of punishment from your head." I insisted.

"Okay." I appreciated how gingerly Deaky handled the instrument. I nodded encouragingly as he hesitantly played the guitar. "T-Thank you." John surprised me by putting the Red Special down and hugging me. "Thank you for everything." I was touched, unsure of what to say at this point. Today was just full of emotions.

"My turn!" Roger shouted grabbing the Red Special before I could protest. He handled it just as gently as Deaky did, so while I wasn't thrilled with him borrowing it, I couldn't get mad at him. Or maybe I was partial because Roger looked so cute and out of place playing the guitar instead of the drums. I knew he knew how to play quite well, but it was still a foreign site to watch.

"Ooh! If we're swapping instruments I call drums!" Freddie shouted eagerly getting behind the drum set.

"This is supposed to be a serious sound check." I couldn't help but laugh. Why not have some fun? John retrieved his bass, and I decided to do something different and try out the piano for once.

"We are going to confuse the heck out of everyone at the show tonight." I remarked.

"Yes, dear, but we'll do it in style!" Freddie held his drumsticks in the air dramatically.

***

I promised my parents I would give them a call. I was also curious to see if Roger had already beaten me to it and told them the news of our marriage. As I made my way to the payphone booths, I caught Freddie using one of them, deep in a conversation.

"...I don't care if Mary lets you have two treats before bedtime. When I come back, you're still only getting one treat before bedtime and no amount of large cute cat eyes can persuade me otherwise...Oh you're right. I suppose one additional treat won't hurt you. Enjoy yourself, darling, you deserve it...Yes, yes, please tell me. I wasn't able to watch it last night because we had a show. I'm dying to know. Who did Hannah give her rose to?...No way! I did not see that coming...That John Paul Jones is quite a hunk, isn't he!...Oh, I wish we could cuddle on the couch and watch it together like we always do, but I'm a rockstar. I have better things to do on my Monday nights than watch The Bachelor...I miss you too, darling. I'll call you after the show. Let you know how it went...Of course I'll sing you a lullaby over the phone. I promised to do it every night and I haven't let you down yet, now have I? Take care, Delilah, and please send my love to Mary and the other cats."

I didn't mean to eavesdrop, and I felt like I was intruding. Freddie was such a large and almost intimidating presence on stage. The stadium would no doubt see him as such in two hours, but here I saw him as someone vulnerable and sweet. The little lost muse boy who loved his cat.  How could anyone hurt him...or any of my boys? It was beyond me. I just wanted to keep them all safe.

"I'm going slightly mad without her." Freddie sighed.

"Well the good news is we only have one more city after tonight and then you can see her again." I said optimistically.

"You're a good friend, Brimi."

"Well I try." As sincere as Freddie was, the compliment was hardly worthy. I forgot the anniversary of my two best friends.

"Tonight isn't about me and Delilah though. It's about me and Deaky, and like you said--I mean thought--you still owe us for forgetting. Remember your promise to make it up to us by the end of the night?"

"Whatever it is, I'll do it." I insisted.

"Good. Please remember you said those words." Freddie said somewhat apprehensively. Oh no! What did I get myself into? "I can't give John my gift without your help, and I need something that will top his ring." He explained. "You were going to cut your guitar solo short anyway to propose to Roger, so I was wondering if you'd accompany me acoustically for Love of My Life. I've been practicing day and night. I'm sure I've kept you up with my singing, but I finally feel confident enough to do it. I won't glow. I wouldn't put us at risk like this if I knew I couldn't do it."

"Deaky won't appreciate the gesture if it puts you back in a cage." I said sharply. It was a cruel remark, but I wanted to scare Freddie into taking precautions. What we were doing was already so dangerous.

"Please, Brian!" Freddie begged. "I know what I'm doing. You promised you'd make it up to me, darling. It's just tonight. Then we never have to do another acoustic ever again."

Love of My Life was one of my favorite tracks that Freddie wrote. I always thought it was tragic that we could never play it live. "If you really think you're prepared and you know with certainty that you won't glow." 

"Yes." Freddie declared. "I can do it with my eyes closed if I had to. I think the crowd will only help me."

To be honest, I was terrified, but I couldn't say no at this point. Not to that wide eyed muse who had been through hell and back just to get to this point. Freddie knew what he was doing. He wouldn't risk giving up this life and going back to the lab or the outskirts. Or at least I prayed he had the common sense to know better.

So when the time did at last arrive for us to march onto the stage, I was struck with more nerves than usual. The crowd was enormous, even record breaking, but that wasn't a concern, especially after we received such a warm welcome. Looking out into the audience of screaming fans chanting "Queen!", I saw streams of banners and posters and other paraphernalia. I took it all in for a fleeting moment. If they knew the truth about my bandmates, would they still be as enthusiastic or would they boo us instead of cheering us on? Roger squeezed my hand. "Have a good show." He whispered into my ear before retreating to his seat behind the drums.

Freddie took a seat the piano bench and nodded back at us before starting to play, and from the very first note, the audience went nuts. " _Mama, just killed a man...."_

I treated it no differently than any other show. I could do no better than my very best, so I gave it my all in performing just like always. With the adrenaline and surrounding acoustics I was once again reminded why I loved this so much. I normally only paid attention to my own guitar and the audience, but tonight I was also drawn to my husband. I watched in awe as Roger smashed his drums with such precision and intensity during his solo in Keep Yourself Alive. The stage lights shone blindingly against the sapphire on his finger. I nearly melted when he looked up at me and winked.

"All yours, pretty boy!" Freddie hollered when Roger went into his rendition of I'm in Love With My Car. My hands went into autopilot because I was too busy ogling Roger to focus on my own playing. Then something unexpected happened during the chorus.

"... _I'm in love with my star..."_ I thought I had misheard the flubbed lyric, but I knew Roger was up to something when he stopped singing altogether. As professionals, Deaky and I continued to play, and Freddie awkwardly jumped in on the vocals. "... _Get a grip on my boy racer roll bar/Such a thrill when your radials squeal..."_ He was less than enthusiastic to sing about his love for a car, and his sassiness came out in his voice turning it into a more sarcastic song. However, Freddie didn't have to sing it for very long because Roger abandoned his drums and meandered over to where I was standing. I immediately stopped playing, and when Roger dropped to one knee Deaky stopped strumming as well.

"Earlier today, my soulmate and I exchanged vows." Roger smiled up at me as he spoke over the cheering audience. "Sorry ladies, but I'm afraid I'm a married man now." Surprisingly, not too many boos from jealous fangirls. "I didn't marry a car. I married a star."

I rolled my eyes at how corny but cute Roger was being. Still, I felt my face flustering knowing that he stopped the concert to profess his love for me in front of a record breaking crowd. "Mystar deserves a ring of his own." I gasped as Roger retrieved a ring box from his pocket and held it up to me. "Brian, will you accept my ring?" How long had he been planning this? Were Freddie and Deaky aware? It was the most perfect surprise I could ask for. "Of course I will!" I exclaimed, taking his cherished gift and placing it onto my finger.

"Just kiss already!" Freddie shouted, "It's what the audience wants. Isn't that right, my darlings?"

A unanimous screech of approval rippled the entire stadium. That left us with very little choice. We couldn't let down our fans. "I love you." I declared before capturing his lips.

_'Go backstage and enjoy yourselves!'_ Freddie's inner voice bounced over the noise. "Here's a song that Deaky and I wrote about one my favorite things in the world...a cat!" He shouted abruptly, gesturing for me and Roger to run off.

_"Ooh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

_You're taking all the sunshine away..."_

The duo started to perform the song spontaneously to give me and Roger a few moments to ourselves. I still had the red special slung across me so I didn't have to worry about Freddie glowing. Now, however, I was overwhelmed with love, and it offered a safe distraction from what would come later.

My ring was the least flashy of the four with several mini gems instead of one large one. Still, it was beautiful in its own right, and I refused to ever take it off with few exceptions. "I couldn't let Deaky upstage me with his ring for Freddie. Like I said, diamonds are so cliche. So I found something more fitting for you. Those are moonstones." Roger informed me. "They came all the way from the moon."

"No, honey, moonstones don't actually come from...You know what I love it!" It was just too perfect of a gesture to pick on. Roger was perfect for me in his own special way. And I simply adored this ring and the symbol of our love behind it.

"Are you happy, Brian?"

"I don't think I've ever been this happy." I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you!"

"... _Feeling the beat of my heart_

_Feeling the beat of my heart_   
_Ooh feeling, feeling, feeling..."_

"Sounds like they're finishing up." I gave Roger one last kiss before the two of us returned to the stage just in time for Freddie and Deaky to finish up Cool Cat.

By the time I did get to the abridged version of my guitar solo, I was still feeling so warm and chipper inside from Roger's surprise that I was beginning to put my worries aside. This had been the best night of my life by far. Nothing could mess it up. So I took comfort in this good mood as I put down the Red Special and replaced it with an ordinary acoustic guitar.

Freddie came out on stage to join me walking with his head held high like he belonged here. He did belong here. The stage was his home. I couldn't deny him his right to do what he was made for and entertain.

"If you couldn't already guess tonight is a very special night." Freddie said. "Not only did our two lovebirds finally tie the knot, but I'm also celebrating my anniversary with our darling bassist." Freddie blew a kiss to the wings where Deeaky and Roger werre waiting. "So we're all celebrating one year of love." He spoke to the gigantic crowd as if he were addressing only one or two good friends.

_'Ready Freddie?'_ I mentally asked him, but I knew the answer already. He gave me a fearless nod and I began to play the familiar chords. Upon recognition, the crowd screamed eagerly. Freddie took a deep breath, and opened his mouth, but before he could sing that first note...

_"Love of my life, you've hurt me_

_You've broken my heart_

_And now you leave me..."_

My jaw dropped. Freddie didn't need to do a thing, the audience was singing for him. They knew all the words and were singing in perfect harmony. It was enough to give me chills and bring tears to Freddie's eyes. I looked over to the wings where Roger and John's eyes were popping. Freddie used his hands to conduct the thousands of singing voices like a maestro.

_"..You will remember.."_ Freddie sang over them, his voice floating effortlessly. There wasn't even a hint of a glow. I couldn't be prouder.

_...When this is blown over_   
_And everything's all by the way_   
_When I grow older_   
_I will be there at your side_   
_To remind you how I still love you_   
_I still love you..."_

He  looked into the wings again, meeting Deaky's eyes.  _"I still love you."_ Freddie crooned again directly at him instead of the audience. John was not the only one in tears. It was truly a night none of us would ever forget!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did I tell you, super fluffy to make it worth the wait! I'm sorry it's been so long. School's been tough, but it's my last year (yay!). I have off for Labor Day and Hurricane Dorian, but thank God it looks like the hurricane won't be affecting us as bad as we thought. It's not a direct hit on South Florida, but we may still get some severe weather. If we lose power it'll be super annoying because it's literally 105 degrees here, but that's better than any serious damage. I'm praying for all the places that are impacted directly by the storm. Stay safe everybody!❤️


	24. News of the World Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bob is back with a mysterious hunter, and they are heisting a scheme against Freddie. Meanwhile, John is not taking too well to the life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back! Yeah I have over a million things to do and I haven't even gotten started on my law school application...Oops. But writing is the only thing that keeps me sane, so here we are. I also wrote a one-shot that takes place in this universe for Frian/Maycury week. Check that out if you're interested!
> 
> Anyway, back to the main story, I guess this time jump was inevitable. Honestly the timeline is all over the place so bare with me. Now we're in the News of the World era. You can read it as a year or two later, but it really doesn't make a difference. 
> 
> I'm splitting this into two parts so it won't be so long. I'm not sure when I can get Part 2 out but I'll try my best. 
> 
> The first half of this chapter is going to be a bit different and you'll see what I mean when you start reading it. Don't worry. Everything will make sense soon...

_Mystery POV_

The front page of the newspaper was showcased on my desk the moment I arrived at my office that morning.  _'Queen Has Taken Over the Civilization!'_

"I don't understand this movement." I shouted, slamming the newspaper down. "The United Civilization is a democracy. We don't have a fucking queen."

"Oh, no, sir." My secretary squeaked. "Queen is the name of the rock band that's taking the world by storm. Perhaps you've heard of Brian May? His name has been popping up in hunter circles lately."

"The hunter guitarist who's not a real hunter? Huh. Should have known that bloke was behind this nonsense. What's he up to now? Stopping us from hunting foxes in addition to magical creatures?"

"Actually he's trying to stop us from hunting altogether. Here's your coffee sir." I resisted the urge to spill the coffee all over the newspaper. No, I might as well see what this cult was all about. After all, it was the leading cause of these boycotts and talks of animal and magical rights. If I became well versed in their foolish arguments, I could refute them more easily.

' _Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon--They're Queen, and they're here to stay! Like it or not, they will rock you! Upon the successful release of their latest album, News of The World, Queen announced tour dates for this summer all across the civilization. Tickets are already sold out. In addition to making headlines with their groundbreaking music consisting of unforgettable hits like Bohemian Rhapsody and We are the Champions, Queen has also gained their fame through controversy._

_Like most rock and roll frontmen, Mercury is facing muse allegations. This is so common that it is hardly surprising. The singer claims he has nothing to hide and has shown his soulmark on several occasions. There is no adjoining muse mark, proving that he is human despite his traditional muse-like teeth. Lately dentists across the civilization have been disclaiming the muse mouth stereotype. Overbites are not necessarily exclusive to muses, and not all muses have them._

_Mercury has been relatively quiet on his political views and Deacon has been quiet in general. However, Taylor believes in magical rights. In an interview last week alongside his hunter husband and soulmate, May, Taylor expressed his opinion that the laws in place are wrong. Ultimately though, the band's lead guitarist, May, is the most outspoken on the issue. Breaking every hunter stereotype imaginable, May rejects the entire community's ideology....'_

"S-Sorry to interrupt, sir," My secretary rudely stole my attention away from the article. "I um just got off the phone, and another company boycotted us."

"Shit!" I cried. "What is wrong with everyone? Since when has hunting ever been considered unethical and controversial? We keep the magical creatures in their place where they belong. They need us. We're protecting them from themselves. If left on their own, they wouldn't know what to do with their magic and would ultimately turn on us and the humans."

I was still seething over last month's decision to alter the law for the benefit of sex demons and fruit vampires (the ones who don't suck blood). What was next—were we just going to allow muses to roam free? When did it end?

"S-sir?"

"WHAT?" I growled at my unruly secretary.

"Um...Manny is here f-for your meeting."

Ah, Manny, that small skinny kid who by all means should not be a hunter. I took pity on the child and took him under my wing. Now he worked for me in my top notch hunting company which specialized in tracking muses. The frail boy walked into the room, trembling slightly. "Let's make this meeting quick." I clapped my hands. "What do you want, boy?"

"I...I q-quit!"

I took one look at those fearful eyes hidden behind thick glasses and I burst into laughter. "You quit? Is that a joke? No one else will hire you. Who would ever want you as a hunter?"

He looked down and gulped. "I-I don't want to be a hunter...I never did..."

"You don't have a choice. It's in your DNA. This is what you're made for." I looked over his tiny frame and scoffed. He sure didn't look the part, but I stood by my words. You're born into hunting, and in my opinion refusal to accept the life should be punishable by death.

"B-But...Brian M-May..." Manny stammered, "H-He's um going to get a PHd in astrophysics after he's done with Queen. H-He said so in an interview with his s-soulmate Roger Taylor who's also not a hunter. A-And because of Brian c-choosing his own path...they're opening up programs for hunters in universities. I-I can finally get a real education."

"You got all the education you'll ever need in hunting school. What do you need to learn about stars for anyway?"

"I quit!" Manny declared more firmly. He stomped his foot and stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind him. He'd be back. All of this would blow over soon.

I snapped my fingers at my secretary. "What's on the agenda for today? Do you have all my files prepared for my presentation at the hunter gathering?"

"Yes, sir. You're all prepared. I've organized your talking points and even had them color coded for you...I hope that's alright." He bowed his head timidly. "Um today you have a meeting scheduled with a man who goes by the name of Bob."

"What's the nature of this meeting?" I questioned, not sure who this mysterious "Bob" was. Hopefully it wouldn't be a waste of my time.

"He said that he wanted to talk to you about the muse civilization conspiracy theory and...a certain muse. I forget his name. Something exotic sounding."

I slammed my fist down on the table. "It's not a conspiracy theory, damn it! I was there. I saw the muses' separate civilization with my own two eyes. There was just no way to enter it because the fence was enchanted to keep hunters out, and they've since hidden its location from us. They're so stealthy with their magic."

"I-It's just...a bit far fetched even in hunting circles. People find it very hard to believe that muses have their own civilization that we're unable to reach." My secretary had the audacity to insinuate that I was lying.

"My team and I stumbled across their civilization. I was electrocuted by their fence and this little muse boy tried to use his fucking magic on me." I shuddered at the memory of him singing to me with that haunting voice I'd never forget. It was beautiful, but too powerful for its own good. If just a scrawny child muse could heal me from electrocution, then I couldn't fathom what an adult was capable of. Of course it would be a danger to everyone to let that little muse boy Farrokh wander around wreaking havoc. So we ended up passing over the auction house and making more money dealing with Galileo Labs directly. I've spent the rest of my career trying to re-find that muse civilization which had mysteriously disappeared. Now I looked like a total lunatic trying to prove its existence. At one point, I even want back to Galileo Labs to seek answers from Farrokh, but he was no help either. I tried to torture the location out of him, but after hours of agony, he continued to claim that he didn't remember anything about his family. His earliest memory was in the lab where we sent him, but we both knew that wasn't true and he was just being stubborn. I was so close to cracking the lying little bastard, but then his fucking cat broke free from its cage and bit me. I could have gotten rabies! Galileo Labs was lucky that I was kind enough not to sue them. They needed to train their muses better. That disrespectful boy didn't deserve a pet cat.

When Bob arrived, I recognized him as one of the scientists from Galileo Labs tasked with overseeing Project Muse. Maybe he had more luck gathering information from Farrokh, although by now that muse was no longer a boy. It had been many, many years.

"I'm going to be frank." Bob said bluntly. "I need your help and you're the only person who I can turn to because let's face it, your reputation is that you're slightly mad. But that's okay. People think I'm bonkers as well. Since Queen's rise to fame, I've been trying to expose Freddie Mercury. He is a muse and nobody bloody believes me."

"I don't blame them for not believing you. 9/10 rock frontmen are marked as muses these days. It's become a publicity stunt. No one takes it seriously anymore. Real muses are quite rare, and I doubt any of them would be stupid enough to step into the limelight by leading a major rock band. Do you have any proof of your accusation?"

"His real name is Farrokh Bulsara that much I know." Bob said.

I paused for a moment. He had to be mistaken. Farrokh couldn't be Freddie. There was no way that a muse so powerful could live on his own without guidance so he wouldn't abuse his magic. Unless Brian May was more of a hunter than I thought and and was keeping a watchful eye on his pet at all times.

"Look I just need this muse to go down." Bob grew impatient with my pondering. "I got fired twice because of him. First from Galileo Labs after he disappeared and I got blamed. Then again when he stole my fucking siren from Scaramouche University. You ramble on and on about muse civilizations and all that bullshit and claim to know everything there is to know about those fuckers, but no one really takes you seriously. If you can expose Freddie Mercury, it will work wonders for both of our reputations. We'll be seen as heroes. And by putting an end to Queen, we can finally prove to the world that magical creatures cannot coexist with us. This movement for magical rights will stop and people will respect hunters again. I don't know about you, but I am sick of all the boycotts. We need hunters. They shouldn't be demonized because of one stupid rock band."

Bob spoke my language. I nodded in agreement. "I think I fancy this idea." I murmured. "But I need to make sure that I'm not investing in a farce. I've seen Farrokh use his magic. I still have that same voice ingrained in my memory. If I hear Freddie sing, I'll know whether or not it's really him."

"You haven't heard any Queen songs?" Bob gasped. "I hate them, but even I have to admit that their songs are pretty good. They're on the radio a lot."

"Oooh! Can I put on Bohemian Rhapsody?" My secretary clapped his hands excitedly. "Please, please, please! It's my favorite song! I like it just as much Stairway to Heaven, my other favorite song."

"Stairway to Heaven? What the bloody hell is that?" To be fair, the only song I knew all the words to was the Hunter National Anthem. Lately though I was starting to enjoy this young new dynamic artist who no one was accusing of being a muse. He seemed pretty human to me and that was why I enjoyed him. What was his name again? Oh yes. Justin Bieber.

"Prepare to have your ears blessed with the greatest song ever written in my humble opinion." My secretary said.

"I wouldn't go that far." Bob rolled his eyes as my secretary put the record into the player. I was shocked that he kept albums and a record player in the office closet. I should fire him, but it was difficult to find human secretaries and hunters found the job demeaning. I refocused my attention and shut my eyes, waiting to hear the muse's voice, definitive proof that Freddie Mercury and Farrokh Bulsara were one in the same.

' _Ohhhh._

_The machine of a dream, such a clean machine...'_

"Definitely not our muse! And you call _this_ the greatest song ever written?" I cried. "I hope this is a prank. How are they so popular if this is their greatest hit?"

"S-sorry. Wrong side. My bad...You make me nervous, sir." My secretary flipped the record so the A-side was playing. At first I couldn't make out which voice was Freddie's because the harmonies were overlapping. Then when the piano started to play and a single voice crooned, I knew exactly who we were dealing with.

'... _Mama, life had just begun_

_But now I've gone and thrown it all away...'_

I removed the needle and interrupted the song. "Bob, my man, I believe we've found our muse."

_John's POV_

Sometimes I wondered if the rockstar life was meant for me. For the fourth time this week, I woke up with a splitting headache and barely any memories beyond the show last night. I hated taking advantage of Freddie like this, but I knew all I had to do was bash my eyelashes and he'd sing away the hangover. God it felt so scummy of me, but I couldn't start out my morning feeling this shitty, not when I knew that we had another concert tonight and would probably party again afterwards. I could still smell the bourbon on my breath. I shut my eyes, and a fleeting glimpse of a magical moment from last tonight came to mind.

' _Drunk out of his mind, Freddie picked me up and held me high above his head like he was performing a ritual sacrifice or something. "EVERYONE LOOK AT ME! I'M HOLDING UP THE WORLD!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "LET IT FOREVER BE KNOWN THAT JOHN RICHARD DEACON BORN AUGUST 19, 1951 IS MY ENTIRE WORLD!"_  
_"Freddie, put me down!" I giggled. "AND NOW I'M TAKING MY WORLD TO BED. GOODNIGHT DARLINGS. WE WON'T BE SLEEPING TONIGHT!"_

Yeah, we had a good time. As shy and awkward as I felt at parties, Freddie always made sure to take good care of me. I appreciated that. I groaned, rolling over. "Freeedddiiiie." I sighed. "I have a bloody hangover."

No response. I opened my eyes and frowned. The bed was empty. Where was Freddie? I rubbed my eyes, blinking a few times to assuage the blurriness. Then I spotted the note on the pillow.

_'Good morning darling,_

_You looked so peaceful in your sleep, so I didn't want to wake you. The boys and I are downstairs having breakfast. I'll save you some cheese on toast. Last night was spectacular! You're so magnificent, I couldn't ask for a better lover. I hope we can have an encore tonight at Sharon's party after the concert?_

_Love you always,_

_FM'_

Sharon was Freddie's nickname for Elton John. Elton's parties were just as notorious as Freddie's. Whenever we attended one, Brian would make us sign a pact promising we wouldn't do cocaine. I think Freddie might have broken the pact once or twice. I don't have definite proof though. Same goes for Roger. Hell, Brian wasn't as innocent as he preached. He probably breached his own agreement. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Why did I feel so out of place?

I forced myself out of bed, going about my morning routine in a zombie-like fashion. Then I made the dreadful trudge downstairs feeling absolutely miserable with every pounding step. Stupid alcohol!

The boys didn't notice me as I prepared myself some coffee in the dispensary across from their table. They were deep in a conversation.

"...And then this drop dead gorgeous sex demoness says she wants to play with Brian's telescope. How could I not get mad?"

"For the last time, Roger, it was a literal telescope. You barged in on me showing her Saturn. It was completely innocent. She was interested in space."

"But I heard her tell you that Uranus looked beautiful. Explain that!"

Brian face palmed in defeat as Freddie laughed like a madman. "Freddie, help! You were at the party. You saw what happened. Tell Roger he has nothing to worry about."

"Oh I was there, darling, but let me tell you she had no interest in space. You were just too clueless to realize she was flirting with you the entire night. I'm surprised she continued to pursue you up until Roger threw his little tantrum. It was clear she was getting nowhere with you."

Even though the night was a blur, I briefly remembered the sex demonesses who had crashed the party. I thought it was fine that sex demons were allowed in society now so long as they only adhered to consenting adults and behaved responsibly. Freddie promised me that they were harmless and would never force themselves on anyone against their will even though they needed sex to live. As I slowly began to sober with the soothing warm coffee, more memories trickled back from last night.

_'"Hey there handsome boys. What are your names?" I felt completely out of place when a woman like Aphrodite herself approached us out of nowhere._

_Slightly drunk, Freddie put his arm around me_ _and extended the other to shake her hand._ _"Just call me Mr. Mercury, dear. The pleasure is all mine."_

_"Mr. Mercury." She purred. "You are simply out of this world! Who's your little friend? Hi there cutie? Why are you so shy?"_

_"This is my precious Deaky and I'm not willing to share him." Freddie spoke before I could even form a response. My mouth was dry. I needed another drink. His grip around me tightened as he continued, "I suggest if you want an out of this world experience, you go talk to my friend Brian. He has a great big telescope you might be interested in."_

_"Mmhmm. I think I might go check that out. I'll see you two around." She winked at us and walked over to Brian._

_"Roger's going to kill you." I said._

_"I know." Freddie laughed. "Normally I would have just flirted harmlessly, but I saw how uncomfortable she made you feel, so I sent her away. Plus it will be a lot of fun to see how Brian and especially Roger react."_

Naturally none of us had cheated on our spouses from what I could recall. I wasn't too concerned to be honest. I trusted Freddie even if there were sex demons roaming around the parties we attended.

"I doubt sex demons are even really that great in bed." Roger said.

"Oh, darling, you couldn't be more wrong about that." Freddie proclaimed. "The best sex I've ever had was with sex demons. Paul would invite them up to our tower all the time if I promised to behave myself. It was quite a treat."

I knew about Freddie's encounters with the sex demons. He claimed it was meaningless. Nothing but good fun in bed and no real connection like he shared with me. It had occurred before he met me, so could I really blame him? Still that comment stung. 'Best sex I've ever had.' Did I not live up to his sexual expectations? Was I not enough?

"Deaky should thank them really." Freddie went on, unaware that I was listening. "They taught me all my techniques. It's why I'm so good at pleasuring him. I've learned from the masters." He burst into laughter at Brian's mortified expression.

I decided now would be a good time to join them. I took a big sip of coffee, but it was worthless in terms of curing my hangover. I was still quite dizzy when I took a seat at the table.

"Good morning, sleepy Deaky." Freddie said with a chipper grin. "How are you feeling, darling?"

"Hungover." I answered honestly.

"Oh I'm not surprised. I told you not to drink that much, John." Brian said. I rolled my eyes. "You drank more than me." I said under my breath.

"So who is excited for Sharon's party tonight?" Freddie asked eagerly. "It's going to be a night to remember because we'll probably forget it!"

"I can't wait!" Roger exclaimed.

"Will there be any sex demons at this party?" I inquired, not sure where this confrontational side of me was coming from. "I heard they give the best sex ever. You'd know about that, wouldn't you, Freddie?"

Freddie gasped and seemed at a loss of words for a moment. "I-I...I didn't mean it like that _._ I meant...They're really good at having sex...but that's not the same as love making. Does that make any sense?"

"You're in trouble, Fred." Roger snickered. "Deaks, were you invisible this whole time just listening to us talk?"

"No. I was over there." I pointed to the coffee dispensary. "And you didn't answer the question, Freddie. Are you looking forward to sleeping with the sex demons at Elton's party tonight?"

"No, of course not! All that is in the past. I'm with you now, and I don't want to be with anyone else. You know that, darling. Where is this coming from?"

"I..." My head still spinning, I stared at Freddie who begged for my forgiveness. But he hadn't actually done anything truly wrong. When Freddie Mercury wanted something, he took it, and he didn't once give into the temptation and cheat on me. So I knew this was a non-issue that I was blowing out of proportion. "I'm sorry. Attacking you like that was wrong of me. I'm just tired. This constant touring and partying is exhausting."

"It's alright. Next week we'll be back home and we can cuddle with the cats and take things slow. I'm a little homesick myself to be honest. I miss Garden Lodge, and I miss Delilah."

"You  _always_ miss Delilah when we're on tour." I pointed out.

"But you're always my priority, darling. You know I would never leave you for a sex demon or anything or anyone else. Yes I had lots of sex with them before I met you, but I didn't make love to any of them. I saved love making for my soulmate, and you'll be the only person I ever make love to. Now, darling, you should eat something." Freddie said, pushing several plates of food in front of me. "I got you cheese on toast like I promised, but I think you need something more nutritious to go with it. Eggs are a good source of protein and Brian says that tofu bacon is a good alternative and they were all out of normal bacon, so here you go."

"Freddie I can't possibly eat all of this! I'm already feeling a bit ill from the hangover."

"Let me take care of that." He brushed his fingers against my forehead.

 _"Oh yeah, I'll tell you somethin'..."_ Freddie crooned softly and I could feel his magic swirling around me, relieving my headache.

_"...I think you'll understand_  
_When I say that somethin'_  
_I want to hold your hand..."_

"Freddie, you're holding my forehead, not my hand." I laughed.

"Shush, dear. I have that song stuck in my head."

_"...And when I touch you_

_I feel happy inside_  
_It's such a feelin' that my love_  
_I can't hide_  
_I can't hide_  
_I can't hide..."_

Just like that, Freddie's glow faded, and I felt good as new. "Better?" Freddie whispered. "Mhmm." I replied but as I leaned in to kiss him, he reclined back in his chair, his eyes fluttering shut.

"Freddie, that was foolish." Brian reprimanded. "Anyone could have seen you glow. What if there was a magic detector near by?"

"No one is here, Brimi." Freddie yawned. "And I hate it when John is even the least bit uncomfortable." He struggled to sit up and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"No harm done, love." I assured him. "And thank you."

"I think we're becoming too relaxed. It's not good especially considering how famous we are." Brian warned.

"It's easy for you to say, Brian. You don't have to live in fear and hide what you are. Hunters are glorified while we're all vilified." I snapped. Why was I acting so volatile today? I suppose I was just overtired and it was making me edgy.

"Deaky, what has gotten into you?" Brian cried. "Yeah." Roger chimer in. "Brian is trying to protect us and because of him, hunters are starting to get called out and soon we'll all have rights like the sex demons and fruit vampires. Are you just jealous because he has all the guitar solos on the setlist?"

"What? No! This has nothing to do with guitar solos. I'm just tired...tired of everything." I took another sip of coffee and realized how tired I truly was. I was tired of always looking behind my back and questioning the motives of everyone I met. I was sick of waking up in cold sweat after nightmares of Freddie being taken away from me kicking and screaming while I stood there unable to do anything and prevent him from being tortured in a lab. And to be honest, I was just exhausted from the grueling party packed touring schedule.

"Maybe we shouldn't go to the party tonight." Freddie said.

"Because of me?" I questioned. "Freddie, you were just talking about how excited you were. I shouldn't be the one to spoil your fun. We can still go."

"Are you sure, dear? I don't want you to be upset." He was so considerate. I didn't deserve him. "I'm sure." I replied.

"You do so deserve me, my love." Freddie read my mind. "And I'm lucky to have you."

Roger made a gagging sound, but that only encouraged Freddie to lean in, rubbing his nose against mine in an Eskimo kiss that made my heart flutter. There were some things I could never grow tired of.

Brian cleared his throat. "So did you read the article about us? It was surprisingly positive. I think we really are starting to make a difference. But we can't let our guards down just yet."

"That article was boring." Freddie scoffed. "It focused too much on you and politics. Now did you read the other article, the one about my cats? I'm surprised that story didn't make the front cover."

"Wait. Someone wrote an article about your cats?" Roger blurted.

Freddie flipped through the newspaper finding the write up hidden toward the back.

_'Freddie Mercury: Queen's Muse or King of Cats?_

_The frontman of the successful rock band Queen has been confronted over muse allegations. He has repeatedly denied them._ _Pictures s_ _howing his soulmark on his arm prove that it only contains his soulmate's name: John Richard Deacon, Freddie's husband and Queen's bass player. There is no adjoining muse mark. As of now there is no solid proof and Freddie confirms he is human and has nothing to hide._

_However, in a recent interview, Freddie dodged all muse related questions and instead focused on his cats. He went into great detail of how much of a cat lover he is. Each cat has its own room in Mercury Deacon mansion Garden Lodge. On Christmas, Freddie fills stockings with treats and toys for each of his cats._

_There are five cats in total. First is Freddie's self proclaimed favorite feline Delilah. Delilah has been with Freddie since she was a kitten_ _,_ _and_ _he says_ _the most difficult part of touring is leaving her behind as the two are normally inseparable. Next is Romeo, a stray cat Freddie and his band found on Ridge Farm while recording their album A Night at the Opera. Then there is Tom and Jerry. These two cats originally belonged to Freddie's alleged ex-girlfriend Mary Austin, but after several "play dates" at Garden Lodge, the duo became depressed when it was time to go home. They would stay up all night mewling for Freddie, and eventually Mary gave in and allowed the rockstar to adopt them. Now they sleep soundly every night. Finally, there is Tiffany, a birthday present gifted to Freddie...'_

I looked up from the paper when I noticed our friend Sammy walking with a plate of pancakes. We met him while performing at the Emerald Bar, and after a few drinks, we encouraged him to pursue his dreams and quit his dead end job there. Now he was the president of our fan club.

"Sammy, darling!" Freddie waved over to him. "Come sit with us!"

"Hi guys!" He greeted us. "I just wanna say thanks again. I've just been passing so many open windows since I left the Emerald Bar. Opportunities have been coming up for me left and right."

"That's wonderful!" Brian said.

"I'm glad I ran into you though because there is something I wanna discuss. I have some good news and some bad news." Sammy said.

"Good news first." Roger prompted.

"I'm at this hotel for a business meeting believe it or not. I've just been offered the gig of a lifetime. I'm going to tour as Robert Plant in the civilization's premiere Led Zeppelin cover band! This a dream come true!" He announced.

"Congratulations!" I exclaimed.

"I think cover bands are stupid." Roger said but corrected himself when Brian elbowed him. "I mean that's great news, Sammy!"

"We're very proud of you, darling." Freddie told him.

"So what's the bad news?" Brian asked.

"Well," Sammy sighed, "this new job is going to take up a lot of my time. I'm really sorry but I won't be able to be the president of the Queen fan club anymore. I'm sorry. I really am."

"Oh it's okay." I assured him. "You should be able to follow your dreams. So spread your wings and fly away."

"Yes, dear. We're not going to stop you. Finding a replacement will be difficult, but you shouldn't worry about us." Freddie said.

"Thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart." He said genuinely.

"What a nice lad." Brian remarked as Sammy left. We nodded in agreement. Who would fill the role as the president of our fanclub? No one could be as good as Sammy.

But as sweet as Sammy was, we couldn't even trust him with our secret. So we had to be truly careful who we allowed to get close to our inner circle. As annoying as it was to have Brian always hovering and telling us what to do, he was right. We couldn't let our guards down. Freeing sex demons and fruit vampires was a step forward to freeing all magic creatures, but we couldn't deceive ourselves until it was official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh. I'm not sure how I feel about how this chapter came out. It's kinda rushed. A little too much tell instead of show, but that's mainly because of the time jump. I wanted to get across that because of Queen the civilization is starting to turn its back on hunters, and certain types of magical creatures (sex demons and fruit vampires) are beginning to get their rights. Naturally, there's a backlash in the hunting community. Hopefully you enjoyed it. Join us for Part 2 in which chaos erupts at Elton John's party. Stay tuned.


	25. News of the World Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All hell breaks loose at Elton John's party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains a brief panic attack. Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> I'm putting that there just to be on the safe side, but it is very brief. A good half of this chapter is hilarious and bizarre shenanigans happening at Elton's party, but be warned things get a bit intense. I try to write a cohesive and compelling story with lots of action, romance, and drama, but then I get side tracked by all these crazy fun ideas which makes for a weird overall tone. But this is the result and I stand by it! Enjoy!
> 
> I don't say this enough: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for reading!!! ♥️♥️♥️

_John's POV_

Adrenaline rushed through my body as we ran off the stage. I was still feeling very flustered from all the lights and the screaming crowd. Just when I thought my heart couldn't pump any faster, Freddie pinned me up against the dressing room wall, kissing me feverishly. "You were brilliant out there, my love!" He congratulated me. "Better than ever, darling! I swear you make me so very proud, John."

"Y-You do too." I replied breathlessly, hoping he understood what a beacon of positivity and greatness he was. Although there was no way for me to articulate those feelings right now because Freddie lunged in for another kiss which I diligently returned. A knock on the dressing room door made us both freeze in place, locked in each others' arms.

"We'll be out in a moment, dear!" Freddie called to whoever had knocked.

"Mr. Mercury?" The voice of a stagehand responded. "What are you doing in Mr. Deacon's dressing room?"

"Exactly what you think." Freddie replied winking at me. "Now please give us some privacy, and don't bother us again or I'll have you fired."

About ten minutes later, we exited the small space, hand in hand with satisfied smiles. Freddie used his fingers to smooth my hair back into place. We had a small area outside of the individual dressing rooms to ourselves. Well, the stagehands and our roadies had access, but typically it was just for the four of us relaxing after a show. Brian and Roger were already seated at a table waiting for us. Roger was wolfing down slices of anchovy pizza while Brian crinkled his nose in disgust.

"Hey mates!" Roger exclaimed with his mouthful of pizza. "Great show! I had Crystal order us some Italian food. There's plenty of pizza and seafood spaghetti if you want to recreate that scene from Lady and the Trout. Brimi and I can never do it because he's stuck in his stubborn vegetarian ways, but there's still hope for you two."

"Um isn't it Lady and the Tramp?" I asked, feeling slightly nauseated by the smell of fish.

Roger gasped. "Such language, Deaky! Didn't Brian raise you better?"

I scratched my head in confusion. "What did I say?"

Brian shook his head. "In a different context it can be derogatory to use the word tram—"

"—Brian, show some class!" Freddie shouted. "Don't use the word in front of our baby unless you're talking about the Disney movie."

"But in the movie they eat spaghetti and meatballs, not spaghetti and clams." I pointed out.

"No it's always been squid noodle spaghetti with clams as far as I know. Either way, Brian will refuse to partake in the romance." Roger said.

"There's nothing romantic about killing animals." Brian argued.

"Well unless you have any caviar, I say let's skip this horrendous seafood rendezvous and eat at Sharon's party instead." Freddie suggested. "Brian might actually be able to find something vegetarian that he can eat there."

"I thought the party didn't start until 11 and you're always late anyway." Roger said. "But if you wanna starve yourselves until then, go ahead."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with being fashionably late, my dear." Freddie replied.

Just then, a reporter barged into the room. I assumed she gained access because of the VIP card dangling across her neck in a lanyard. Several camera personnel followed her, blinding us with their flashing clicking lights. Freddie stepped in front of me, acting as a sort of shield. "We're not taking any interviews or questions right now." He declared.

"I hope you enjoyed the show." Brian said politely as he signaled for our security team to escort the pesky press out of here.

"Freddie, is it true that you're part cat?" One of the cameramen blurted.

He nearly doubled over in laughter. "Bloody hell, that's a new one! Who told you that, darling? I  _wish_ I was part cat. I'll tell you that much."

"But you can talk to cats?"

 _'Don't answer that.'_ I warned Freddie mentally.

"What does this have to do with the music?" Freddie countered. "Why don't you ask me about the album? News of the World. Have you got your copy yet?"

"Are you doing a solo album?" The reporter inquired. "This goes out to everyone, not just Freddie." Huh, an actual question about the band and not about magic or other bullshit. This was surprising.

"Oh I'll make a lot of money!" Freddie exclaimed.

"I'd like to do a solo album." Roger said thoughtfully. "I'd make it naked and raw." He smirked at Brian.

"I really haven't thought about it." Freddie said. "Probably my solo album would have Brian, Roger, and John backing me."

"Then it's not exactly a solo album. We'd still be in a group." I pointed out.

"Well I think the group is the best vehicle we have." Brian said. "We worked so well together, I don't want to give up that dynamic."

The reporter nodded. "And what about you, John?"

"Me?" Questions were rarely directed at me. Or if they were, one of the boys would jump in and answer for me because I hated interviews so much. "Um, no. I don't sing."

"You're the only one who doesn't sing." She reiterated making me feel more awkward. "So I suppose you're not secretly a muse?"

"End of interview!" Freddie shouted. "Please, darlings, get the fuck out! Security will tell you where to go. Where the hell is security?"

"I-I'm not a muse." I squeaked.

"Nor are any of us amused." Freddie said through gritted teeth as Brian struggled to get security's attention.

"Either ask us about our music or go to hell!" Roger shouted.

"We can clear this up once and for all. John why don't you sing for us? Then we'll know for sure?"

The camera lights were making me sick. I shook my head. "I d-don't sing."

"What do you have to hide?"

"P-please don't make me sing in front of everybody." I felt like curling into a little ball on the floor.

"Why are you getting so hysterical? If you really can't sing then just belt something off key?"

"He doesn't have to do anything for you. He's not your damn show monkey!" Freddie snarled.

I was sinking into a panic attack with the lights and sounds swirling around me. I couldn't breathe.My entire body was trembling and I had no control over it.

Security finally reacted just shy of Roger punching a hole in the lens of one of the cameras, but the damage was done. I had resorted to a blubbering pathetic mess.

"Shh. Shh. Everything is going to be alright, my love. The vultures are gone now. It's just the three of us and we won't let anything bad happen to you I swear to God. Breathe with me, darling. In and out. In and out." Freddie spoke softly.

I slowly focused on my breath, trying to regain my senses. It had been a while since I was sent into a full scale panic attack like this, but healing was never a straight line.

"Very good. That's it. In and out. In and out." Freddie encouraged. "You're doing so well, darling. Just keep breathing. In and out."

I registered his arms around me, but there was someone else gently massaging my back reassuringly. It was Brian. Roger meanwhile was pacing around the room furiously. "I swear I'm going to kill the reporter bitch. Who the hell does she think she is?"

"I-It's okay." I choked. "I'm okay."

"No, it's not okay, Deaky. She fucking humiliated you by putting you on the spot like that. They know Freddie's not gonna crack, so now they've resorted to using their interrogating bullshit on you. Why can't it just be about the music? Who gives a flying fuck if we have magic? Why can't we just go about our lives without having to worry all the time?"

Brian scolded Roger when his words brought more tears to my eyes. But I was crying because I shared the drummer's frustration. This wasn't fair.

"Here you go, dear, have some water." Freddie offered me a cup. "Are you feeling any better?"

I looked around at the three concerned faces. I was such a burden to them. Why couldn't I be normal? They all stood tall. I was the only one who threw a fit when pestered even the slightest bit.

"John, listen to me very carefully." Freddie spoke sharply. "You are anything but a burden. I don't want you thinking those horrible thoughts about yourself because they just aren't true. Panic attacks can happen to anyone and can be triggered by anything. It could be anyone of us in your place. You've seen me have my share of freak outs, haven't you? So you should know this doesn't make you any less of a person. Do you understand?"

"But it happens to me more." I pointed out.

"So we'll be here for you more." Brian said.

"It gives us an excuse to show you more love and hold you extra tight." Freddie said pulling me even closer. "Has anyone ever told you how cuddly you are, Deaky? You're like a koala bear, any cuter and I may just lose my mind!"

"Freddie!" I giggled in protest as he planted soft kisses all over my face. "There's that smile!" He cooed.

Somehow, we all naturally gravitated around each other into a group hug with me in the center. Once again I was reminded that after having no one in this world for me, I was now literally surrounded by a real true family who had my back no matter what. "I'm happy at home." I said.

"But we're on tour. Should we fly you back to Garden Lodge for the night?" Roger blurted.

"No, you idiot." I laughed. "You three are my home."

We shared the sweet moment for a while longer until we were interrupted by our roadie, Ratty. None of us parted from our positions huddled against one another. Ratty just nodded non-judgmentally. "When you're done hugging it out, a very special fan would like to meet you."

"No press!" Brian begged.

"No promises. Even security had trouble kicking 'em out as you saw. I'll try to make a few phone calls and get your security team upgraded so this kind of thing won't happen anymore. Until then, hang in there boys." Ratty said. "Should I send in the fan?"

"Deaky?" Freddie looked to me.

I nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

A man in a wheelchair was pushed in by a nurse. He was followed by the swarm of cameraman, but Ratty, Crystal, and our lackluster security team were trying to push them back.

"Hello boys, great show!" The nurse congratulated us. "This is Lloyd." She gestured to the man she was wheeling. "He's a big fan!"

"The biggest fan!" Lloyd interjected. "I'm so excited to finally meet you. It's a dream come true!"

"Oh, darling, it's a pleasure! Thank you for believing in us and supporting our music." Freddie proclaimed.

"We love our fans." Roger said.

"We wouldn't be anywhere without them." Brian added.

Lloyd opened his mouth to respond, but a coughing fit interrupted what he was trying to say. The nurse supplied him with a tissue. "I'm terribly sorry. It's this deadly polio I'm afraid."

Polio? I felt sorry for the poor bloke, but something didn't sound right. No one contacted polio anymore. Roger, of course, was tactless enough to blurt out exactly what I was thinking. "Didn't they come up for a vaccine for that? I thought it was pretty much eradicated in the 50s."

"The vaccine didn't work on me for whatever reason. Doctors are puzzled. I've gone through every kind of treatment imaginable. I even tried to get myself a visit with one of those miracle muses, but there's such a long waiting list that I'll be long dead before I get there."

"I'm sure the muse would drop everything to save you, darling, but it's difficult when you have hundreds of people begging for your help and draining all of your energy with each and every one you heal...Not that I would know anything about that." Freddie said.

"Well at least I got to see my favorite band before I die." Lloyd smiled up at Freddie. "Thank you."

"P-Please don't thank us. I-I...We wish we could do more." Freddie's eyes dashed between Lloyd and the cameras as if he were watching a tennis match.

"You've done everything in your power already. The rest is left in the lap of the Gods." Lloyd replied.

"Impromptu band meeting!" Freddie blurted out of nowhere. "Everyone in the dressing room!"

Before anyone could protest, Freddie grabbed my hand and escorted me into the dressing room. Brian hesitantly followed and Roger just shrugged and joined us. Freddie shut the door making for a somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere but it was nowhere near as bad as an elevator or heaven forbid a cupboard.

"What's this about, Fred?" Roger asked.

"I have to heal Lloyd." I knew that was coming. It was inevitable. Still I shook my head vigorously in rejection. "No way, Freddie! All those cameramen and reporters will see it happen."

"I'm not stupid, darling. I have a plan. I'll invite Lloyd to Elton's party and do it there in a secluded room where no one will see us."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Brian wondered.

"I can't just let him die." Freddie insisted.

"But what if after you heal him he goes blabbing to everyone that you're a muse?" I cried. "How do you know we can trust him?"

"Because he'll owe me for saving his life."

"Like the hunter who you saved only to be stabbed in the back and kidnapped?" I countered.

Freddie gasped. "How the hell do you know about that, Deaky?"

"You talk in your sleep." I replied. He rarely ever wanted to talk about his nightmares when he woke up in a cold sweat. I was more than compliant to just hold him and rock him back to sleep. But I often overheard the things he would mutter in his sleep during these episodes that helped me put the pieces together. I realized it was cruel to be so blunt about it especially in front of Brian and Roger, but it was too late to take it back now.

"John is right, Freddie." Brian surprised me with his agreement. "We should get to know Lloyd a bit better before we let him in on any of our secrets. It might be a good gesture to invite him to the party, but maybe wait until you're certain he won't turn on you before you heal him."

"Very well, but I'll be keeping a good eye on him. If his condition deteriorates, I'll have to take action. I don't want his blood on my hands." Freddie shuddered.

"No one is saying that you caused this, Freddie!" Brian cried. "Goodness, you shouldn't even think that. It's preposterous."

"It's not your fault." I assured him.

"Yeah, Freddie. You can't help it that this chap is immune to modern medicine for some reason." Roger said.

"None of the people you couldn't save were your fault." I reiterated. "You have such a good heart, Freddie. But you shouldn't guilt yourself for something that isn't on you. Do you understand?"

Freddie nodded, but I doubt we got through to the stubborn muse. He would continue to blame himself and it broke my heart. I regretted bringing up the source of his nightmares, but there was nothing I could do about that now.

"Lloyd, darling," Freddie proposed with a bright smile, hiding his sorrow like the great pretender that he was, "we've decided to invite you to a party." He handed the ill man a slip of paper with the time and location of Elton's party so the press wouldn't find out.

"We'd be honored to have you there!" Brian said.

"Lovely!" Lloyd exclaimed. "I am so--" He couldn't complete his sentence because another cough got in the way.

"We just want you to have a good time even if you're not feeling your best." Freddie said.

"I'll be there. Thank you very much. You really know how to make a man feel special. It's a true miracle what you do." Lloyd said.

 _'It's okay.'_ I told Freddie mentally as he visibly cringed.

"Before I go, can I just ask for one small favor?" Lloyd requested.

"Of course anything, darling."

"There is a rumor going round that if you ask Brian for a hug, he'll always say yes." He posed. I doubted Brian would deny the wishes of a dying man, but the request was somewhat odd.

"I was the one who spread that rumor because Bri's hugs are amazing!" Roger exclaimed before Brian could even react. "Just keep in mind the 5 second rule or else we'll have a problem. And trust me I'll be counting."

"I didn't know it was official, but yes, I do tend to give out hugs on request." Brian said. Unsurprisingly, Roger stayed true to his word. The moment Brian bent down to embrace, Lloyd, his soulmate began to count. "One Maserati, two Maserati..." Most people used Mississippi when counting seconds, but I honestly didn't want Roger to ever change.

"You have such luscious hair." Lloyd murmured, combing his fingers through Brian's curls as he was hugged. Okay this was getting kind of weird.

"...And that's five Maseratis! Your time's up!" Roger announced. "Back the fuck away from my hubby!"

The nurse wheeled Lloyd away from Brian before things could get ugly. Aside from Roger's slight anger, nobody else seemed to notice the peculiar nature of Lloyd's request. Maybe I was looking into things too much.

"We'll see you at the party tonight, darling." Freddie said.

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it." Lloyd wheezed.

***

"SHARON!" Freddie screamed at the top of his lungs.

"MELINA!" Elton greeted him just as enthusiastically.

"SHARON!"

"MELINA!"

"Rogerina!" We all stared at him when he blurted out his drag name breaking up Freddie and Elton's reunion.

"I heard about that poor polio victim. That was so nice of you to invite him." Elton said.

"You don't mind?" Freddie asked.

"No, of course not. The more the merrier. Now come on in and enjoy yourselves!"

While Freddie and Elton rambled on and on about fashion and piano, I somehow found myself on the dance floor leading the Cha-Cha Slide and the Chicken Dance. Then I unleashed some of my disco moves. Dancing in public was a sign that I had a few too many to drink. Eventually Freddie came to join me and we danced together.

"So what happened with Lloyd?" I shouted over the music. "Did you end up healing him?" Alcohol makes your lips very loose. Oops.

"W-What?" Freddie slurred, clearly even more inebriated than me. "Darling, my cream puff, Deaky, have I ever told you that I'd rather give up sex than spend a day without you."

"I'd like to see that in writing once you're sober." I laughed.

"I'm serious, Deaks...I love you more than sex with those sex demons. Sure, they fuck good, but it's nothing compared to what we share. I'd never ever ever ever give you up. Never."

"Oh God, Fred, please don't Rick Roll me."

He smirked. I walked right into this one, didn't I? _"Never gonna give you up..."_ Freddie belted dramatically. _"...Never gonna let you down/Never gonna run around and desert you/Never gonna make you cry/Never gonna say goodbye/Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you."_ The lyrics were slurred and barely decipherable and interrupted with his continuous giggles, but somehow even intoxicated Freddie could still sing angelically. Most importantly, he managed not to glow.

"How's it going boys?" Lloyd called as his nurse wheeled him around the dance floor. "Thank you again for the invite. This party is the greatest!"

"Oh shit! I was supposed to heal him, wasn't I?" Freddie slurred.

"Shhh! Not so loud!" I hissed.

"The only way to shut me up is with a kiss, my dear." He winked.

Unable to resist I leaned in, tasting the alcohol on his lips. We both had way too much to drink, but right now I was too happy to accept the consequences to my liver. "Upstairs, now!" Freddie whispered, and I had no choice but to obey.

Somewhere in between kissing and giggling, we made it upstairs to one of the bedrooms. The only problem was that it was taken. "Fuck!" Freddie shouted when we realized the bed was occupied. "Fuck!" He shouted again when we realized who was occupying the bed.

"Paul and Linda McCartney?" I cried.

"Freddie Mercury and John Deacon?" The Beatle responded dryly.

"You know who we are?" I nearly fainted and Freddie seemed just as surprised and starstruck.

"So sorry, darlings. We'll um...I love you...I mean...Goodbye." Freddie pulled me out of the room putting an end to the awkward encounter. But then we both started laughing.

"Paul McCartney knows who we are!" I exclaimed.

"And we walked in on him and his wife in bed." Freddie snickered.

"It was an accident. They should have locked the door." I insisted.

"I guess we'll just knock before trying the next room but that really took me out of the mood." He said.

"Same here." I agreed. "Wanna go back to the dance floor? I'm always up for more dancing!"

"Of course you are. Let's go!"

As we meandered back to the dance floor, we caught site of Lloyd. Poor man! Having polio was horrible in and of itself, but now he was in another predicament. Justin Bieber appeared to have crashed the party, and Lloyd's wheelchair was parked right in front of the little dweeb. His nurse was nowhere in site, so there was no way for him to wheel away and escape. "I know something you  _can_ do to help Lloyd. Let's go rescue him and find his nurse." I said.

Once we got closer, we were able to overhear what Justin Bieber was saying to Lloyd over the music. "You know I think the worst thing about muses is their stupid sparkle.  They're like those dumb vampires from Twilight."

Freddie's hand clenched into a fist. "First of all, muses don't sparkle. They glow. There's a difference. And don't make fun of Twilight. The author might have gotten her start in fanfiction by writing shitty Twilight fanfictions that she thankfully never published and will never see the light of day."

"Freddie, you're so drunk that you're breaking the fourth wall!" I cried.

"You seem to know an awful lot about muses, Freddie." Lloyd noted.

"Mercury probably is one." Bieber scoffed.

"Darling, where did your nurse go? She should be fired for disappearing and leaving you to deal with...with...this thing." Freddie gestured toward Bieber.

"She went to the loo." Lloyd replied.

"Well, rest assured, my dear. Deaky and I are here to save you. I'm so sorry that this had to happen." Freddie took Lloyd's wheelchair and pushed him far away from Bieber which conveniently enough was next to the bar.

"Here, darling. I'll order you a drink. What would you like? You seem like you'd enjoy some gin and tonic."

"So, are you having fun at the party?" I asked Lloyd as Freddie went to get the drink.

"It's been very interesting." Lloyd said.

I scolded Freddie when he came back with the gin and tonic and an additional two vodkas for us. "We are drinking way too much!"

"Shush, Deaky. There is no such thing as too much drinking. So to that I say cheers, darling." He drank the entire glass of vodka in one swig. "Oh fuck! I think I'm gonna throw up!"

Before I could say I told you so, Freddie bolted out the door. I was about to follow him to make sure he was alright, but Lloyd asked me a question "Does he get sick a lot?"

"Pardon?"

"Freddie." Lloyd clarified. "Does he fall ill often?"

"Umm. He usually handles his alcohol better than all of us. So he must have had a lot and went over his limit. Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason. I was just curious. So you're his soulmate?"

Why did it feel like I had walked into another interview? It was impolite to just walk away when we were in the middle of a conversation, but Lloyd was being a bit invasive, and I wanted to check on Freddie.

"I'm sure you can pick up on our merged scent. We're married." I said. "So as the saying goes, in sickness and in health, I've gotta be there for him." That was a good excuse to finish this strange line of questioning.

I rushed outside calling for Freddie. I heard him before I saw him. His powerful voice was pushing through  _We Are the Champions,_ but there was something a bit more special about this performance. The glow in the distance gave away that he was using magic. I nearly tripped over the curb as I sprinted closer finally finding Freddie hunched over the trash can, clutching his stomach as he sang. He exhaled and stood up straight, the glow fading. "I-I'm okay!" He announced. "All better now."

"Freddie, are you mad!" I cried. "Anyone could be out here. Just accept the consequences of over drinking and throw up if you have to. It's too risky to use your magic for something as frivolous as this!"

"I was going to puke, but I wouldn't dare do it all over my little friend here. Come here, Deaky. Look who I found!" Freddie eagerly pointed into the trash can. Maybe he was still drunk. I peered into the rubbish expected to find nothing more than empty beer bottles. Only much to my surprise there was a bright orange cat sitting atop a discarded pizza box. "Meow." He cooed up at me.

"Aren't you a sweetheart!" Freddie proclaimed picking up the orange fuzzball. "Yes. You deserve a nice warm home with lots of food and toys. You shouldn't be scavenging through the trash like some sort of animal."

There was no denying Freddie a cat. We were going to keep him no matter what, but it seemed like this little boy was a stray, so it worked out for him too. "He can sleep in the room next to Tiffany's. I'm sure the other cats won't mind a new brother. Just gives them more playmates." I said, giving the cat a pet.

"Let's see...you're as fluffy as a muppet and we found you living in a trash can, so I dub thee Oscar!" Freddie declared. "Welcome to the Queen family, Oscar, my dear. We're happy to have you!"

"You won the kitty lottery." I told Oscar. "Freddie treats his cats better than me sometimes."

"Oh! That reminds me I have to call Delilah and sing her a lullaby so she can fall asleep. Come with me, Deaky, and bring Oscar, so I can put him on the phone to meet everyone. Sharon will let us use his phone."

I wasn't letting Freddie take anymore risks. I made sure we were alone in the room with the phone and shut the door. Freddie rolled his eyes. "I know how to control my glow when I sing, darling. It's only when I'm actually using magic that I can't contain it. I swear both you and Brian breathing down my back all the time is driving me insane. Why can't you be more like Roger and say fuck the consequences of our actions?"

"Because our actions do have consequences." I stressed.

He ignored me and dialed the number. "Mary, dear, put Delilah on the line please. Is she there?...Oh Delilah, you'll never guess where I am! Sharon invited me to yet another party. Can you believe it?...What do you mean 'get on with the lullaby already?' Is that any way to talk to me, young lady? Listen, you're getting a new brother, and you need to make a good impression so he doesn't think his new home is some sort of mad house. His name is Oscar. Deaky, darling, can you hold him up to the phone? And, Delilah, could you gather all the cats around so they can talk to him too."

"Is this really necessary?" I asked as I hoisted Oscar up to the phone. His ears perked up when he heard meows and purrs on the other end. He mewled back, and then fussily jumped out of my arms, and I assumed the conversation was finished.

Freddie took back the phone. "Were you nice to him? I don't want you scaring him away...I told you, Delilah, I'll be home this weekend...Of course I miss you, sweetheart! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you...Very well, I'll sing you your lullaby now. Get yourself comfortable, darling."

" _Another party is over..."_ Freddie went into a rendition of My Melancholy Blues, his voice floating effortlessly. He smiled at me teasingly as a beautiful glow overtook his skin. The loveliness was not enough to put me at ease. Freddie was playing a dangerous game.

 _'Are you doing this on purpose?'_ I thought.

'... _Don't expect me to behave perfectly...'_ Freddie crooned, winking at me.

This seriously wasn't funny! Freddie was growing too lax, and it was scaring me. The last thing I ever wanted to lose him because of one foolish drunken decision. Brian and I acted like wardens, but we were doing it for Freddie's own good (and Roger was a whole other loose cannon). I hated all these precautions we had to take. They made me even more paranoid and anxious than I usually was, but they were necessary to avoid a calamity.

I nearly screamed when the door opened. Didn't I lock it? Oh God why didn't I lock it? I could have prevented this. Without thinking, I lunged in front of the intruder, trying to block him from seeing Freddie's glow, but it was too late. You'd have to be blind not to notice it. Besides, I wasn't tall enough to effectively block..."Brian!" I cried in realization, throwing my arms around the guitarist in relief. "Thank goodness it's just you!" Brian thankfully had the common sense to shut and lock the door behind him.

I was so thrilled that it was Brian and not someone who could expose Freddie that I hardly noticed the sudden strange beeping sound, almost reminiscent of a bomb. Where was this mysterious noise coming from? Freddie wasn't phased. He continued to sing and glow.  _"...I'm causing a mild sensat--"_

"—Freddie, what the hell are you doing?" Brian interrupted the ballad while also looking around for the source of the sound.

"What does it look like I'm doing, darling? I'm singing Delilah a lullaby. What are  _you_ doing? And what is that bloody noise? Shut it off. It's annoying!"

"I don't know where it's coming from." Brian said. "But it's not important. What's important is you being reckless again. Now get off the phone. I need to call Miami. Roger punched Bieber, and now he's pressing charges for assault."

"Brian's it your hair!" I concluded.

Brian and Freddie stared at me cluelessly, but I trusted my ears. Brian's hair was beeping. I knew it wasn't just a drunk delusion. I followed my hunch and reached up to touch his curls. My fingers grasped around the tiny ball resting on Brian's scalp.

"What the hell?" Brian gasped as I held up my findings. It was a black sphere, omitting the high pitched beep. I was too scared to voice what it was because I had only heard about the alleged device in nightmares.

"Is that a magic tracker?" Freddie cried. "Brimi, how could you?"

Magic trackers were about 39x stronger than most detectors. From what I knew, all hunters wore them hidden somewhere on their body while on duty. If it went off, it would alert the trackers of all other active hunters within a 10 mile radius. That meant we only had a couple of seconds until--

There was a violent pounding on the door like thunder. "MANDATORY MAGIC CHECK! EVERYONE OUT! POLICE! EVERYONE OUT! THOSE WHO DO NOT COMPLY WILL BE ARRESTED! POLICE! EVERYONE OUT!"

"W-What do we do?" I shrieked.

"Hide the tracker!" Brian urged.

In a panic I held the ball in my hand waving it around frantically unsure of what to do with it. Oscar must have mistaken it for a toy because he jump up and swatted it out of my hand with his paw.

"Oscar, no!" Freddie hissed.

The cat sniffed the tracker curiously before swallowing it whole. The beeping quieted down and eventually ceased altogether. Oscar didn't seem to be hurt or uncomfortable, so I assumed it went to his stomach without any issues.

"Brian, will you take him to the vet for us if we don't make it out of here?" I requested.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! COME OUT OR WE ARE COMING IN!"

"Just try to stay calm." Brian said but the quiver in his voice revealed that he was betraying his own advice.

Freddie was in tears. "I fucked up. I'm so sorry. You were right. Both of you were right. Why didn't I just listen?"

"Your mark is covered with paint. We should just surrender ourselves with our hands in the air and pray for the best." Brian said.

I knew we were close to the end and there wasn't much I could do, but out of habit I retrieved my bottle of magic suppressants. There was only one pill left. Damn it! I had been putting off getting a refill because of the tour.

"It's yours, Deaky. This is my fault. So you take it." Freddie instructed.

"I love you, Freddie." I said. I put the pill on my tongue.

"WE'RE COMING IN!!!"

I pushed my lips up against Freddie's in a forceful kiss, transferring the pill from my tongue into his mouth. ' _I'm sorry, but you deserve it more than me.'_ I thought.

I disappeared the moment the team of hunters and accompanying police officers busted down the door and swarmed the room. I remained dead silent and super still just as any invisible man should. Brian put his hands in the air. Freddie hesitantly did the same. No one could see me, but Freddie's teary eyes locked with my fearful ones.

"Alright where's the tracker?" One of the officers shouted.

"NOOOO!!!" Roger came dashing toward us, shoving past all the bystanders, tripping and nearly falling several times in the process. He was sobbing hysterically. "Please don't hurt them!"

"Relax." A hunter said pushing him back and preventing him from reaching us. "This is standard procedure. We just need to collect the tracker and it will tell us exactly where the magic is coming from."

"What tracker?" Brian played dumb.

A bloodhound sniffing the area stopped where I stood. He pointed his paw and barked, snapping at me ferociously. My heart was pounding like one of Roger's drum solos but I remained stiff as a statue.

"What is it?" A hunter demanded. The dog barked again. But as the hunter stepped too close for comfort, Oscar suddenly leapt in front of me. He hissed up at the bloodhound.

"Fucking cat. I'm not surprised that's what got you riled up. You really hate those pesky felines, don't you, Killer?" The hunter chuckled. "Anyway, boys, I'm going to need both of you to show us your marks and if there's no sign of a tracker, we can deem this as a false alarm. It happens from time to time."

Stifling back tears, Freddie rolled up his sleeve. A thick coat of paint the same olive tone of his skin concealed his muse mark. The only visible pattern were the letters spelling out my name. Brian turned around and parted his curls so his two marks were exposed.

"Huh." The hunter gasped. "I thought you smelled like a fellow hunter. Are you sure you haven't seen a tracker?"

Brian shook his head and as he did the curls swooped back into place. "No sir."

"You must forgive us." One of the officers said. "Magic trackers usually don't lie. Let us know if it ever shows up."

***

"Well that was a bloody disaster." Freddie moaned as Oscar curled up on my lap. He surprisingly seemed to like me more than Freddie which was a first when it came to cats.

"Good boy, such a good boy" I cooed as I pet him. "You saved my life, you know." Oscar was far more interested in his own tail than my compliments.

"What are we going to do about the tracker? We can't take Oscar to the vet without explaining what happened." Freddie sighed.

"Well he seems fine." I observed. "I think we're just going to have to wait for it to end up in the litter box and pray that Oscar's stomach acids disabled it."

Oscar hissed as Freddie leaned closer to him, putting his ear to the cat's stomach. "It's definitely not beeping anymore...Ah! Oscar, don't scratch me, please, darling! Why don't you love me? All cats love me!"

"I'm sure he'll grow to love you in time, but it seems at the moment he prefers me." I said, getting Oscar to calm down with a few strokes of his orange fur. "Look, Freddie, he's purring!" I delightfully applauded. "I don't blame him. You're very lovable, Deaky." Freddie planted a kiss on my cheek.

As we were enjoying the sweet moment to ourselves after such a chaotic evening, Roger burst into our hotel room. "Good news! Brian's talking with Miami and Bieber's lawyers, and they're getting all my charges dropped."

"That's wonderful, darling! Punching that little punk should very well be legal in my opinion." Freddie said.

"I know," Roger frowned, "but Brian says I need to learn to solve my problems with wits instead of fists."

"Well there are exceptions to every rule." I said.

"Bri should be back upstairs in our room when he's finished with negotiations, but I just wanted to check up on you two make sure you were okay." He paused, looking at us tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine, dear. Thank you for asking." Freddie replied.

"Good." Roger nodded. "I guess I should be going now." He hesitated at the threshold. "You don't need me to stay for any reason?"

"Do you want to stay?" I asked.

"No, of course not. I can stay in my own room alone and wait for Brian. I'm a grown man. I'm not afraid." He shot back defensively.

 _'He's afraid.'_ I concluded and Freddie nodded to my nonverbal observation. "Darling, come here. We really don't use the extra bed, why don't we push them together so you can cuddle with us?"

"I really don't want to be a burden." Roger said.

Needless to say, we ended up with the beds pushed together and Roger snuggled between the two of us and Oscar at our feet. "You know I lost a lot of my friends to the nets." Roger sighed. "When I saw you and Brian on the other side of the door the hunters kicked down, and Deaky was nowhere to be seen...I thought that...Fuck! I thought that I was going to lose you too and I'd be left all alone again."

"Ahh, please don't cry." I threw my arms around him supportively. "We're okay, Roggie."

"We'd never leave you behind like that, darling. Never." Freddie promised. He pulled the blanket more securely around the blonde. "We just had a bit of a scare that's all. It should be a reminder to us all not to be so reckless in the future."

"Take your own advice, Fred." I murmured.

"I plan to. I do give great advice if I do say so myself." He said.

Roger flinched when the door opened again, but I knew the only person it could be was Brian since he had the key. "Brimi?" Roger sniffled.

"I'm here!" He announced, not even questioning our position all cuddled together on the two beds pushed together. "You're officially off the hook, Rog. You should really thank Miami. The man's a miracle worker. He was on a holiday and flew all the way here just to have you exonerated."

"Exonerated for punching Justin Bieber in the face. I think I'm in the right here." Roger insisted earning a snicker from me and Freddie.

"Scoot over." Brian sliding in next to me just felt natural. The four of us were always very close, so I didn't protest to the idea of sleeping in a cuddled mass at least for tonight. It was rather comforting after the scare we had.

"So how do you think the tracker ended up in your hair?" Freddie inquired.

"I wish I knew." Brian said. "Someone must have planted it there, but I don't know how they could've done it without me knowing."

"Please," Roger laughed, "your hair has a mind of its own. You could have a whole tiny village of people living in there and you wouldn't even know about it."

We erupted into laughter, and the horror of almost getting caught by hunters was soon forgotten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This whole thing is a mess! It's supposed to be 1977 or 78, but somehow it's become the late 2000s and I'm back in middle school 'cause we're hating on Bieber (although that transcends any time), getting Rick Rolled, and talking about Twilight, which may or may not still be a guilty pleasure of mine. 😳 I do still have my Team Edward t-shirt from 7th grade. It probably still fits. No regrets.
> 
> I really need to grow up, don't I? *Sigh* Well, until next time, kiddies!


	26. I Want to Break Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lloyd shows his true colors, and a mysterious package for Freddie leads to trouble for Roger on the set of I Want to Break Free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My birthday is next week!!! Midterms are coming up, and I have an interview tomorrow that is giving me a ton of anxiety. So yeah, I'll try not to slow down the writing despite everything. 
> 
> Now enough about me, let's talk about this story which is why you came here: 
> 
> Basically, I suck at writing mysteries because I'm not good at what's the word again....Oh yeah- SUBTLETY! Based on the comments from last chapter, most of you are onto who the big bad wolf is. It's no secret really, but don't worry there's a few twists and turns up my sleeve. Not everything is exactly as it seems...

_Roger's POV_

Good old Clare, the one person I could never get mad at...Until today. She betrayed me. This was something beyond unforgivable.  How could she ever do this? Did it pleasure her to see her big brother humiliated like this?

In horror, I stared at myself in mirror, resisting the urge to punch my reflection. My locks were not longer blonde, but rather an embarrassing bright green. "What the hell Clare?" I screamed again, staring down at the kelp cream bottle she had sent me.

_'Hi Roggie,_

_I'm guess your hair gets pretty dry up there. I was thinking of you when I picked up this styling cream that all of the popular girls at school are using. I was going to buy it for myself, but I decided to give it to you instead. I doubt I'd suddenly become popular anyway. After all, you're the one who has to compete with Brian for best hair in a rock band. Let me know if you like it. Nothing major to report here. I'm thinking of joining the seahorse racing team this year. It'll look great on my college resume. I doubt it's as thrilling as those four wheeled friends you're so obsessed with on land, but that's why you're the daredevil, and I'm just...Well I'm just me._   
_By the way I messed with the seaweed vine antennas on our TV, a little fiddling and I was able to get in some staticky land stations, specifically Top of the Pops. I love watching my four favorite boys make the rocking world go round ;) I'm so proud! Keep living your dreams and having fun!_

_Love,_

_Clare '_

Damn it, why wasn't I mad at her anymore? She turned my fucking hair green! I read the letter again, and my heart melted. Clare was too pure to hate. I was sure this was an accident. Hopefully, it would only last a few hours at most.

I looked ridiculous! I couldn't show up in our music video like this.  Miami had booked us the sound studio this afternoon specifically for filming I Want to Break Free. We were still bickering over our ideas and what theme we were going with, but waiting for my hair conundrum to solve itself would delay us even more! Maybe I could wear a wig or a hat or something to cover up my green hair.I tried to come up with a creative way of tying it into our music video. The only problem was we couldn't agree on an idea. Freddie wanted to make a bold statement and have us all dress up as magical creatures, and I suggested that we pretend to be our significant others: I'd be a hunter, Brian would be a siren, Freddie would be a shapeshifter, and John would be a muse. John and Brian both struck down that concept as much too risky. Instead, Brian offered a space theme because of course he would want that. And Deaky, who wrote the song...well, his voice was getting lost in the muddle of conflicting ideas. I had to admit though it was pretty funny to watch shy Deaky lash out and put Brian in his place.

_"What does breaking free have to do with space? Why do we always have to get your way, Bri? For once won't you listen to me?"_

_"Of course I'll listen to you, John, but you have to admit, having it set in space will--"_

_"No, you're doing it again! When I try to talk to you all you do is just talk back. It's nothing but backchat!"_

"Roger?" Someone knocking on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. It was Brian. Shit! I looked around the bathroom frantically before finally grabbing a towel out of desperation and wrapped it around my head. "Come in!" I realized seconds before it was too late that stray pieces of green hair were dangling out from beneath the makeshift turban. "Fuck it!" I sighed, tossing the towel onto the floor.

"Honey, your hair is green." Brian observed, surprisingly calm, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" I cried. "It's a bloody disaster! Clare sent me styling cream, and I must have done something wrong because this happened."

"Uh-huh." He took the bottle and examined it. "Tell Clare I say hi by the way. How's she doing?"

"Why are you so calm about this?" I shrieked "We have to film a music video today!"

"Well, it's kinda funny, and to be honest I think it's cute." Brian smirked, running a hand through my messed up hair and ruffling it. When he saw my scowl he quickly corrected himself. "What I meant to say is...I um I like green things--you know, plants, vegetable...and your hair." Brian suddenly busied himself looking at the bottle because he knew he couldn't dig himself out of this hole. "Ahh, I see what you did. Did you mix the cream with salt water before you applied it? That might be the source of the problem. Says right here 'Don't apply until thoroughly mixed with salt water otherwise will result in kelp colored hair.' Did you bother to read the label?"

"Nobody likes a know-it-all." I retorted.

"I'm sure it won't last longer than a day or two, a week at most. Be patient, love. You'll get through this. Trust me, worse things can happen."

"A WEEK?" I shouted. "Oh hell no! I'm not walking around with spinach hair for an entire week!" I nearly smacked Brian when he started laughing. "This isn't funny!"

"Why don't you put that pretty green head of yours to work and help us brainstorm music video ideas that we can  _all_ agree on? C'mon. Fred and Deaky are waiting for us downstairs."

I shook my head. "I'm not going. You can't make me. I'm just going to stay here until the color fades away." I backed up as Brian stepped forward. "If you force me to show myself like this, I'll lock myself in the cupboard again. I'm not messing around."

"We might as well just write to Clare and send her some magic suppressants so she can come up here and take your part in the music video." Brian sighed.

"Having a girl replace me wouldn't make any sense unless you three were in drag with her."I paused in consideration. "That's an idea. Why don't we dress up in drag? Freddie would love that! I'm sure Deaky wouldn't mind it. And it's way more interesting than your space idea."

"Would that convince you to come with me?"

Right. I still had green hair. There was no way I'd show my face to Freddie and Deaky like this, let alone flaunt it in front of a camera. "Get me a blonde wig, and I'll say yes."

***

I adjusted my wig as I walked to the sound stage where Brian and the others were waiting. Yes, we were going with my idea to dress in drag, and then Freddie planned on doing something with the Civilization Ballet because of course he was. The flowing blonde locks of my wig were similar to my natural hair, just a bit longer. I caught glimpses of myself in mirrors I passed by. If I were to look for a single second, then I could almost say I was identical to Clare. I could only imagine how I would look after I put on makeup with Freddie's help. He'd be so jealous when I made the prettiest girl of the four of us.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, this is a closed set. Do you have some ID that I can see?" I was stopped just outside of the sound stage by none other than Lloyd. God, I missed Sammy as president of our fan club. Lloyd was just so obtrusive and acted more like a security officer with too much authority. Somehow he always seemed to be around to meddle in our business in the most annoying ways possible. I had no clue what Freddie was thinking when he hired Lloyd.

 _"He's dying of polio. How can we say no to him? If I can't save him, then this is the next best thing I can do for him."_ And once Freddie gets an idea, we were powerless to stop it from becoming a reality.

So now here I was getting kicked off the set of a Queen music video despite being a member Queen. "Don't be daft, Lloyd. It's me, Roger. I'm not a woman. It's just a wig."

That was when I noticed the package he was holding, his sharp, dirty fingernails, tugging at the cardboard in an attempt to open it. The only problem was the stamp coming from our mailroom and the sharpie written across the top:  **For Freddie Mercury.**

"Bloody hell, Lloyd!" I shouted. "Your job is to sort through our fan mail and deliver it to us, not steal it. That's for Freddie, not you. Now give it here so I can get it to its rightful owner. I doubt Freddie will be too pleased to hear that your were pillaging his package."

"Stealing? What? No! I was making sure there was nothing dangerous in here." Lloyd shook the box. "It could be a bomb you know. There are some crazy fans out there."

"You lying son of a bitch I bet you don't even have polio!" I accused.

"How would you know? It's not like you're a doctor or anything."

"I was almost a dentist, so that's close enough."

"Roger, you just had to put the wig on. What is taking you so long?" Brian stepped out of the studio. Freddie followed him. "I heard someone yelling. What's all this commotion about, darlings?"

"I caught Roger trying to steal your package, Freddie." Lloyd blurted.

"Liar!" I shouted. " _You_ were the one stealing it and we both know it."

Brian laughed. "And I reckon this is like the time the tray of biscuit my mother sent mysteriously disappeared, huh, Rog?"

Shit! They really didn't believe me. Why would they take Lloyd's word over mine? We barely even knew the bloke, but everything about him was suspicious.

"I'll take that." Freddie plucked the package out of Lloyd's hands. "Thank you for being so responsible, Lloyd, but I doubt Roger meant any real harm, so we can all just forgive and forget."

"But I didn't do it. Lloyd did it!" I tried again.

"Why would I ever take Freddie's things?  I'm just so blessed to be working with that once in a lifetime voice." The bastard batted his eyelashes up at Freddie. "You think I would really jeopardize my job and reputation like that?"

"Once in a lifetime voice? Oh darling, you're too much!" Freddie proclaimed, putting his hand on Lloyd's shoulder.

"Last time I checked you said you were a Queen fan, not just a Freddie fan." I stated. Yet he couldn't even recognize me with a wig that was nearly the same as my real hair except in length.

"Roger, don't give him such a hard time." Brian said. "He's suffered enough." Conveniently, Lloyd began to cough uncontrollably which made me roll my eyes. "He's faking!" I cried. "Where's Deaky? I'm sure he'll back me up on this one."

"Oh no, please don't bother Deaky." Freddie said. "He's very busy at work. Our amplifier broke, and Deaky is trying to fix it. We can't get started on our video until the job is done, but I have full faith in him! If anyone can save the day, it's my darling Deaky."

"Lloyd," I leaned down and looked the man in the eye, "care to explain how our amplifier got busted?"

"Roger, what is wrong with you?" Freddie exclaimed. "Delilah broke the amplifier. I was dumb enough to fall for her cute face and decided to bring her with me to the shoot. She promised to be on her best behavior, but of course she ended up playing with the amplifier. I should have left her at home. I'm sure she'd have no problem with David Bowie babysitting her along with the other cats. Anyway, the point is you're being very disrespectful to Lloyd. He's done nothing wrong."

"Freddie, aren't you going to open your package?" Lloyd inquired.

"Oh yes! The package. I wonder who could have sent this. I hope it's a new pair of expensive shoes!"

"If it's clogs I'm envious." Brian said.

"Freddie, you don't even need shoes you can just s..." I stopped myself when I realized Lloyd was listening to every word that came out of our mouths. Non-muses don't sing to manifest shoes, and we had to keep up appearances in front of outsiders. For once I was the cautious one here. "You can just borrow my pink converse. We're the same shoe size I think."

God why would I say that? Spending most of my life without feet, shoes obviously never captured my attention. That was before I spotted the pair of sparkly converse displayed in a store front one day. Let's just say it was one of those surprises that I loved most about land along with cars and Brian May. Point being I would certainly never share them with Freddie.

"Let's see what's in here." Freddie said as he broke the protective seal on the box. Only before he could open it, he was interrupted by a soft meow.

"Delilah? Darling, I thought I told you to wait for me on that soft pillow and keep your paws to yourself. I know you didn't mean to tamper with the amplifier, but I don't want you wrecking anything else or worse hurting yourself."

" _Meow. Meow._ "

Freddie nodded, no doubt understanding what Delilah was telling him. "Delilah says..."He paused noticing Lloyd. "I have a feeling that Delilah is here to say that....she's hungry. Isn't that right, Delilah? Are you hungry?"

Delilah shook her head, and I assumed Freddie translated wrong on purpose. That was smart of him. I was glad that even though Lloyd was on his good side apparently Freddie still didn't trust him fully.

"Huh. I guess I don't understand you as well as I thought. Wouldn't that be something if we could really communicate!" The muse forced a laugh. "Anyway, we should go see how Deaky is coming along with the amplifier."

"It's done." Deaky announced as he emerged from the studio. "I sent Delilah out here to come fetch you."

"She's a cat, Deaky. She doesn't fetch. That's a dog thing. My little Delilah is much too precious for such menial tasks." Freddie said earning a purr from his feline friend.

"Let's not waste anymore time." Brian said. "Now that the amplifier is ready and Roger has his wig, we can get started."

His back was turned as he was heading back into the studio, and Freddie was setting down his package to open later. John and I were the only ones who saw Lloyd deliberately (or at least it appeared deliberate from my vantage) push his wheelchair forward and crush Delilah's tail. As soon as the cat whimpered in pain garnering Freddie's attention, Lloyd rolled back so he came across as innocent. Deaky gasped, and I saw nothing but red. I would have punched him if I promised Brian I'd make an effort to be less violent. The things I'd do for love. If Lloyd really was dying of polio, maybe it was karma.

"Delilah!" Freddie shrieked. He picked up the shaking, mewling cat and rocked her in his arms. "My baby, my love, my darling, my dear," He babbled consolingly, "what happened? Are you hurt?"

"It was--" I began but Lloyd cut me off. "--John stepped on her tail."

Deaky looked horrified, and I didn't blame him. "No! I would never ever do that!"

I leapt to his defense. "It was Lloyd. Lloyd ran over her tail with his wheelchair and he did it on purpose!"

"Shh. Shh. Delilah." Freddie tried to calm her down as she writhed in his arms, hissing at Lloyd. "Lloyd, darling, maybe you should take the rest of the day off. Where's your nurse? She always seems to disappear."

"She's in the loo again." Lloyd replied.

Oh how convenient. "Does she have a stomach problem?" I blurted. "It's not like you need her anyway. Deaky and I both saw you move your wheelchair on your own." And I had a feeling he didn't even need it at all and could stand and walk by himself perfectly fine. I wanted to trust my gut on this and say he was faking, but I just needed to catch him in the act. As of now I didn't have enough evidence.

"Roger, show some understanding." Brian said. "The man is terminally ill." Once again Lloyd chose the perfect moment to start coughing.

"Can I possibly just stay here until my nurse returns? Maybe it's your cat who should leave as she seems to be the one causing all this corruption."

"How dare you!" Freddie cried. "Delilah is a sweetheart."

"Forget your nurse, I'll show you out." I said sharply. I took the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Lloyd out of the studio. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Brian called to me on our way out.

My grip tightened on the handles. I really needed to get this unbridled rage in check, but the idea of anger management just made me mad.  I just remembered my promise to Brian to think before I acted. Use your words, Roger.

"You're despicable you know." I told Lloyd.  "A total disgrace not just to yourself and us but to  _real_ victims of polio and the handicapped. They're brave survivors, and you're nothing but a pathetic, sneaky little liar."  There, that was the equivalent of a good blow to the face. It wasn't as satisfying, but it certainly got my point across.

Lloyd said nothing as I abandoned him out on the curb. Then I made the mistake of turning my back to him. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw him stand up out of the wheelchair, but by the time I spun around to face him, it was already too late. He attacked unleashing moves that were much too powerful and precise for an average civilian, let alone a man confined to a wheelchair. It was clear he had experience in martial arts. Soon I found myself kicked down, landing in a puddle of water. "Fuck!" I screamed.

Lloyd stood over me smirking as I transformed in front of him.  An annoying beeping sound went off, and a hard knot grew in my stomach realizing what that meant. Sure enough, Lloyd held up a magic tracker, nearly identical to the one planted in Brian's hair. I felt so helpless and vulnerable as my legs merged into one blue fin now coming out of a single pant leg of my trousers. The last time I felt this ashamed of my true form was when I first showed it to Brian. But unlike my soulmate who reassured me that he'd always be here for me no matter what, Lloyd looked at me with disgust. He spit on my face as I struggled to breathe. "Bob was right about you. You are a siren. Seems like I'm not the only sneaky little liar around here. Any second now hunters will be responding to my magic tracker signal, and your pretty face will be escorted back to Scaramouche Labs where freaks like you belong. You may even win Bob his job back like he anticipated. I'll let him have you, but as we agreed, your little muse friend is all mine."

"Y-You don't...fuck with Queen." I grunted.

"Who's the pathetic one now?" Lloyd laughed as I could barely form syllables. The world around me was spinning. I was running out of air. Did I have any magic suppressants on me? I tried to remember how to move as my hand made its way to my pockets. Shakily I grasp the bottle, bringing a pill up to my mouth. I did everything in my power to stay conscious, waiting for the effects of the suppressants to kick in and save me. I knew I was in the clear when the beeping of the tracker died down. At last I could breathe again, and a familiar tingling sensation washed across my lower body as my legs returned. Thank God!

"What the--"

I quickly scrambled out of the way as a team of hunters swarmed in, responding to the now defunct signal of the tracker. Lloyd pointed to me rambling about a siren, but I was gone by the time the hunters arrived. I was surprised at how fast I was able to move almost as if I were swimming. Lloyd looked like a raving lunatic to the hunters. I watched safely from the window of the studio as the laughed at him and brushed it off as a false alarm.

So I was right about Lloyd. I didn't escape his wrath to do nothing about it. The boys needed to be warned, especially Freddie. Taking in pride in how I had mastered running, I rushed back to the sound stage. My bandmates were gathered by the now opened box belonging to Freddie, and Freddie was clutching a letter in his trembling hands. None of them seemed to notice me even though I burst through the door, clearly troubled. This was an emergency. "Lloyd's a hunter and he's in a cahoots with Bob. The polio thing is a front. He only took this job to get close enough to expose us!" I shouted.

Brian looked up, dazed. "W-What?"

My heart was still racing from the whole ordeal, but I managed to explain more slowly and coherently what happened. Still, I didn't feel like I had their full attention. Something was distracting them. "P-Please tell me you believe me. Lloyd needs to be stopped."

"I knew he couldn't be trusted!" Deaky said.

Brian didn't say a word about Lloyd, but instead was more interested in me. "Honey, are you okay? Are you hurt?" I accepted his hug nonetheless because let's face it Brimi's hugs are always amazing. Wait a minute... Lloyd had given Brian a hug the night of Elton's party and was very interested in his hair even going as far as running his fingers through it. That must have been how he got the tracker on Brian. That bastard! Thankfully, we all knew Brian would never ever do anything like that to us.

"As of now he no longer works for us. I can't believe I fell for his tricks." Freddie said. "I should have known better. Of course he was only pretending to have polio so I would admit to being a muse and heal him. If we fire him, that will be the end of it. He won't be able to gather any proof that I'm a muse."

"But he saw me in my true form." I realized. "It may just be his word, but he knows what I am."

Brian pulled me closer. "God! I wish I could have been there to protect you. I'm so sorry, Roger. I let you down. I just...I really felt sorry for Lloyd. Polio or any terminal disease is heartbreaking. It's so disappointing and even inconceivable that someone would fake it."

"But I don't think Lloyd is the one behind this." Freddie spoke up, now shifting his attention back into his letter. "I have a feeling it's Paul."

"But Rog says Lloyd is in working with Bob to expose you. So maybe Bob sent it. That would make sense." Brian said.

I stepped out of Brian's embrace to see what was in Freddie's mysterious package. It was an ordinary book. I couldn't make out the title on the dusty cover because it was in Latin. Then I examined the letter addressed to Freddie...Well, not Freddie per say.

_Hello Farrokh,_

_You don't know who I am, but I know who you are. I know you very well as a matter of fact, and hopefully I'll be seeing you soon. One day, you'll finally come home and everything will be as it should be. In the meantime, I want you to get back in touch with your roots. Turn to page 39 in the spell book I sent you. Everything will make sense soon. I promise._

_Love you always,_

_Anonymous_

"It could be Tim." John said out of nowhere. "I do find it odd that he's been so quiet and hasn't bothered us in the slightest since you confronted him at the bar."

"You are all so blind!" I exclaimed. "It's obviously Lloyd. He was the one I found with the bloody package to begin with."

"I'm scared." Freddie admitted. "What does he mean by come home? The tower? The lab? Everything is already as it should be. I love my glamorous rockstar life, and Garden Lodge is my proper home. How clear do I have to make it to Paul that I'm not fucking interested in him? Does he really have the audacity to try to take everything away from me and force me to be his singing sex slave?"

"That won't happen." Deaky vowed. "Whoever wrote it, we won't let him get to you."

"Do you hear yourself? Whoever wrote it? As if there's even a question. Lloyd is the diabolical master mind behind this threat!" I insisted.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Roger." Brian said. "It could be anyone, but at least we have our list of suspects. We can play detective and narrow it down from there. In the meantime, we should discard of this spell book. No good can come of it."

"Yes please darling. I've been through enough. Get that thing out of my sight." Freddie said as he ripped the letter in half.

"Wait, aren't we going to see what's on page 39?" I cried. "We can get the full message that way. Maybe figure out who exactly we're dealing with even though it's obviously Lloyd."

"After almost losing you to Lloyd and Bob, I'm not going to let curiosity kill the cat." Brian said. "The book is going." He threw it into the trash haphazardly like it was a piece of rubbish.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Delilah, dear, curiosity does kill the cat. So no more messing around with the amplifier." Freddie told the cat sternly. "Now let's put all this dreadful stuff behind us so we can finally start filming this bloody music video already! I'm so excited for this brilliant idea to film in drag!"

"I bet you are." Deaky remarked.

"Oooh! Deaky, I have the best idea ever! You should be a sassy grandmother." Freddie pinched his cheeks like a baby. "You'd be so adorable!"

"What?" I snickered.

"And you, my beautiful Rogerina, will be a sexy school girl."

"Damn right, bitch!" I batted my eyelashes.

"And Brian...you can be a cute sleepy housewife with curlers in your hair." Freddie declared

"Yes!" I applauded as Brian blushed. "Can we give him bunny slippers? Please, please, please! The drag was my idea after all."

Freddie looked around to make sure we were completely alone. Then he sang the verses to  _I Want to Break Free_ , with it using his magic to manifest our costumes. I squealed with delight when I received a mini skirt as part of my "uniform". Maybe I would wear one of the knee high socks lower than the other one to show off my legs.

"Get changed, and if you need any help with your makeup, just give a holler." Freddie instructed as he giddily went to his dressing room.

As the others went to put on their frocks, I retrieved the spell book out of the trash and snuck it into my dressing room with me. There was no harm in giving page 39 a little peek. In fact it would negligent not to. What if I discovered something massive akin to Lloyd being a secret hunter and I had to report it.

I didn't know what I was expecting, but I should have seen the let down coming as the cover was written in Latin; it was a given that the spell on the page would be in Latin as well. Damn thing was meaningless to me. I would have to find a translator. Who the hell spoke Latin? I tried to put it out of my mind and changed into my Rogerina getup.

I took a look in the mirror, truly amazed at what a simple outfit change could do along with a wig. I smacked my lips together in an approving mock smooch. "Yup. I'm one good looking woman."

The lights overhead flickered ominously. Miami was the best, but I wish he could've booked us a sound stage studio with better upkeep. This was ridiculous. Not to mention there was a draft in here. All of a sudden the air got very cool. If I were outside I would have blamed it on wind. In fact, the gust was powerful enough to ruffle through the pages of the spell book and eventually push the cover shut. It was a peculiar sight almost as if the book had closed itself. Did I activate a spell? Before I could put together what was happening, a tingling sensation rushed across my body similar to when I transformed from merman to human. Only this was different. Something was happening to me. What did I do? I could feel the subtle changes in my body but it didn't click until I stared back at my new reflection.

I was a woman. For real. I had boobs and curves and everything! It took me a few minutes to come to terms with the legitimate Rogerina who graced my presence in the mirror. Still in shock, I reached up to take off my wig, but I was yanking at my natural hair. These cascading blonde locks truly belonged to me. I was a woman. I was...

When I screamed, the high pitch barely took a toll on my vocal chords. What the hell was going on? I screamed and screamed until Brian burst into the room.

"Lloyd, you conniving fiend if you lay a hand on my Roggie, I swear I'll..." I wasn't sure if Brian trailed off because he noticed Lloyd was absent or because he caught sight of me.

I suppressed my laughter at the sight of Brian in an incomplete costume. Half his hair was in rollers and the other half was its normal poof making him look ridiculous. He was dressed in a pink nightgown with my suggestion of bunny slippers of course.

"My God, Roger! You look like a real girl!" Brian gasped. "I barely even recognize you. Is that why you screamed? Did you scare yourself with how good you look?"

"Bri..." My voice was higher than usual and it scared me. How did this happen?

"Well I'm relieved. I was so scared that I'd rush in here to find you fighting off Lloyd again. Instead, I got the best surprise in the world. My husband or should I say wife," He winked, "looking more gorgeous than humanly possible."

So Brian found this female version of me attractive. I wasn't sure if I felt complimented or frightened. Perhaps a little bit of both. What would he say if he knew that by some bizarre turn of events I truly was a girl? We were soulmates, but Brian wasn't bisexual like me. This was all fun and games, but Brian didn't know he was flirting with an actual woman. Would it change things between us? Make it awkward? I certainly felt awkward. This was so surreal, almost like a dream or a nightmare.

Outside, Freddie was helping Deaky with his makeup. Freddie wolf whistled when he saw me. He was also sporting a sexy mini skirt, but his boobs were clearly fake whereas mine were...Oh God. I screamed again in acceptance of my new body.

"Christ, Roger!" Deaky covered his ears. "Is it just me or did your iconic high pitched scream get even higher?"

"How did you get your tits to look so good?" Freddie inquired. "I must say you're very convincing. It's a kind of magic!"

Magic! I must have triggered some sort of spell from that spell book. Maybe when I referred to myself as a good looking woman while staring into the mirror it somehow transformed me into just that. If only I knew how to read Latin I could reverse it. That was assuming this spell was reversible. Shit! What was I going to do?

"Roger, are you okay?" Brian asked gently. "You look like you're about to faint."

"I don't blame him. I would faint too if I looked that fabulous!" Freddie remarked.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Fred, and that's an understatement." Deaky said.

"Darling." He cooed. "I know I look stunning, but you on the other hand are the cutest thing in the room just like always. Now enough flirting. We know we're four beautiful Queens. Let's get on with the show!"

Acting was not my forte. Now not only did I have to play a role, but I also had to pretend that nothing was wrong. I had to convince the others that I didn't go behind their backs and unleash some sort of magic over myself. All the while I was freaking out on the inside. Sooner or later Brian would find out, and things would get weird... Plus he would probably be mad that I didn't take his advice in leave the spell book in the trash. My best option was to wait this whole thing out and pray the spell would reverse itself over time just like my green hair. Man, I was having the worst luck today!

"And then I'll walk up over here next to you, and we'll both look into the camera and sing "God knows"...Rog? Are you listening, darling?"

"Oh, hmm, yes." I tried to pitch my voice deeper, but it failed.

"Pay attention. If we don't make this music video absolutely perfect, then all the effort you put into making yourself look so pretty will be for nothing. Seriously, I don't know how you nailed it so well. Here I thought I was the fashionista of the band, but you were holding back on me. What's your secret, dear?"

Shit! Freddie was onto me. I had to say something, and something that wasn't suspicious. "I-I'm fine." I cleared my throat, trying to make my new feminine voice appear like a fluke.

"You're still frazzled over the ordeal with Lloyd, aren't you?" Freddie assumed. I let out a sigh of relief. Truth be told I was still unsettled by my encounter with the undercover hunter, but I was much better at hiding it.

"I know I'm placing a lot of priority on this music video, but we would all understand if you wanted to call it a day and go home and rest after everything you've been through. Miami can always book us more time on another day. Or I can film my portion with the Civilization Ballet earlier than anticipated. No one would blame you for taking the rest of the day for yourself." Freddie said gently.

"N-No." I choked. We might as well film this thing while I resembled my character. If I returned as Roger Taylor the man, the final product would suffer.

"Very well. Just let me know if you need anything. You seem...off." Freddie noted.

"I'm fine." I repeated, my higher voice clearly prevalent.

"You're really in character." He smirked. "I like that. I'm trying to use this an excuse to forget about that dreadful letter and spell book as well. Music and dress up are a good coping mechanisms in my opinion. Let's have some fun with this. Ready to call action?"

 _'Just keep up the act.'_ I told myself. "Ready Freddie!"

***

I could still hear Freddie and John giggling as I disappeared into my dressing room at the end of the shoot. All in all, the music video was going to be spectacular, but I couldn't keep this charade up any longer. I got changed as quickly as possible, purposefully avoiding the mirror as I undressed. However, once I was back in my what used to be normal clothes, I found that they didn't look right. For one thing I need a bra now, but the trousers didn't do much to show off my figure like the skirt had.

"Change back now!" I said hopefully with a snap of my fingers. I knew that wouldn't work but it was worth a try. I returned to the spell book as a last resort. It wasn't like I could make matters any worse. How badly could I screw up any way? "Stupid Latin." I murmured trying to make sense of the indecipherable language.

There was a knock on the door. I promptly shut the book. "Roger, can you open the door? We're really concerned about you." It was Brian.

"No!" I shouted.

"Is it about your green hair? Because I thought we went over this already. If it's really bothering you that much, then keep the wig on."

"No...It's not a wig anymore." It was time to come clean. I had no other choice. "Is it just you or are you with Freddie and Deaky?"

"It's just me." Brian confirmed.

I slowly opened the door and let him in, wrapping my arms around my chest protectively. How was I going to break this news to him? "Please don't be mad."

"Mad? About what? Honey, just tell me what's making you so upset, and we can fix it together. Whatever it is, we'll get through it." Brian said.

I sighed and released my arms revealing the newest fixtures to my chest. "I-I fucked up...again." I admitted at last. "Bri, I don't even know what I did but somehow...Oh please still love me!" I fought back tears. Why was I getting so bloody emotional?

"Roger..." Brian stared at me in disbelief, realizing that this wasn't a costume. I braced myself for the worst. ' _This is the end, Rog. I know we're soulmates but I can't love you anymore. You're not my same siren that I fell for.'_

Brian wiped my tears. "You poor thing. Let's try to undo whatever it is that got you into this mess. I'm assuming you used the spell book?"

I nodded. All of this could have been avoided if I had listened to Brian. I anticipated him reprimanding me telling me how stupid I was. I really did jeopardize our entire relationship with one dumb spell. "Please don't hate me."

"You need to stop this, Roger. I love you, and it breaks my heart to see you cry. Here," Brian opened the spell book to page 39, "this is probably the spell you used."

"You're not upset?" I realized.

"Shocked? Yes. But disappointed or angry? No. I just wish you had come to me as soon as this happened. Why did you torture yourself pretending to merely be in drag this whole time? There's no shame in this, Roger. You'll always be beautiful in my eyes no matter what form you take—man, woman, siren, human—it doesn't matter to me in the slightest and I hope you feel the same way about me."

I was beyond relieved to hear those words from my soulmate. A heavy weight was lifted from my shoulders . "Don't be silly, Brimi, of course I feel the same way about you!" I exclaimed. "You're my star, remember? Don't stars take on many different forms?"

"Well technically they—"

"—Don't interrupt my metaphor!" I pouted. "I'm trying to tell you that I'll also love you no matter what because I'm head over fins for you."

Brian flashed me a brilliant smile. "I love you." He said.

"I love you too, baby. So much." I replied.

"Now let's figure this out." Brian returned his attention to the book. "This looks like a self affirmation spell for non shapeshifters."

"You know Latin?" I gasped. Why was I so surprised? Brian was such a nerd. There was nothing he couldn't do or didn't know.

"Did you address yourself in the mirror? That's how the spell is activated." Brian explained.

"I did." I recalled. "I looked at my reflection when I was in drag and jokingly referred to myself as a good looking woman. So do I just look in the mirror and say that I'm a good looking man and that'll reverse it?"

Brian continued to read the page. "I don't think it's that simple. It says here 'spell deactivation can be achieved through traditional means of spell reversal.'"

"What the fuck does that mean?" I cried.

"There's a traditional way to reverse spells and we have to use that method." Brian summed up.

"And does it say what I have to do?"

Brian flipped to the back of the book. "Hang on. I'm checking the index...Ahh. There it is: traditional spell reversal."

"You're a lifesaver!" I proclaimed. Only I might be professing my gratitude too early. I still had no clue what this supposed traditional spell reversal entailed.

Out of nowhere, Brian turned around diverting his attention away from the spell book and onto my lips instead giving me an abrupt but passionate kiss. There was something special about this kiss in particular. It felt powerful like a force overtaking my entire body. I ignored the strange sensation and kissed back always eager to welcome my soulmate's lips against my own.

We parted for air. "What was that for?" I chuckled. My voice sounded more natural although it was still high its feminine overtone was gone and replaced with a more masculine rasp.

"Turns out that traditional spell reversal is direct from a fairytale." Brian said as he removed my wig and planted a kiss atop my green head.

"True love's kiss." I concluded. Such sappy bullshit; why was I grinning from ear to ear? Probably because I was lucky enough to find the love of my life.

"Now the only question is why the anonymous sender would want Freddie to use this spell." Brian speculated. 

"Maybe Lloyd wanted Freddie to look in the mirror and say I'm a muse or something and it would make him glow." I reasoned. "I still can't get over that the bastard would lie about having polio. That's so fucked up!" 

_Lloyd's POV_

"That old Lloyd, just as crazy as ever!" The lead hunter laughed. "What's this hearing about?"  

"Roger Taylor is a siren and Freddie Mercury is a muse! I'm telling the truth! I saw Roger as a siren with my own two eyes! Bob can vouch for me." I insisted. "This isn't fair." 

"Bob? You mean that man who keeps losing his jobs because he lets the magical creatures escape? Why would we ever trust him? You're both disgraced losers who should retire!" 

"I was so close to exposing them too. Just a little more time and I would've convinced Freddie to heal my polio." I growled. 

The lead hunter stared back at me blankly. "But you don't have polio. You're healthy as a horse last I checked just a bit loony in the head. Besides, polio's been cured a long time ago back in the 50s."  

"Obviously I was only pretending and hired an actress from the local theater unit to play my nurse. But once Freddie agreed to heal me, I'd get him on tape admitting that he's a muse with healing powers." 

"That's despicable! Hunting is about honor and dignity. We're supposed to protect people with true diseases by tracking down the magical creatures, specifically muses, who can heal them. You just made a mockery of real polio survivors and people with disabilities. Disgusting! As of now, your company can no longer hunt because I am stripping you of your license. Good day, sir!" And with the bang of a gavel, the lead hunter sealed my fate. 

 My company's hunting license was all I had left. Now what was I going to do? It wasn't fair! Probably if I even managed to expose that sneaky little muse, he'd go the route of Elvis and get a judge approved order to roam free with a hunter guardianship because of all his fans' protests. Back in the day that used to be so rare, but now people were arguing that magical creatures should be automatically free. Brian would probably be assigned as Freddie's guardian which made me sick. He was no hunter. He treated Roger and Freddie as equals. His own soulmate was a siren. How could that even happen? A true hunter would reject a magical soulmate.

Maybe I'd rebrand my company and open a zoo for magical creatures. Before all these scientists came along and ruined things with their experiments, magical creatures were the equivalent of animals as they should be and either kept as pets or lived in zoos. Why not bring that back? It was a safer environment for them than the outskirts, and the revenue from zoo tickets would help the civilization's economy. Bob would make a decent zookeeper even though he didn't have the best track record. And if I owned the zoo, I could do whatever I pleased with the creatures inside. In other words, I could spend hours upon hours interrogating the muses I caught, waiting for that glorious moment when one of them slipped and revealed their civilization's location. As the saying goes: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade out of muse blood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! So Lloyd is evil after all and we still don't know who sent that package and ominous letter. Freddie thinks it's Paul. Deaky thinks it's Tim. Brian thinks it's Bob. And Roger thinks it's Lloyd. But nobody knows for sure. Who do you think is right or are they all wrong? We will find out soon enough...
> 
> Also In case you're wondering my dark humor inspiration for Lloyd comes from the Seinfeld episode where George discovers that one of Jerry's friends is only pretending to have cancer to gain sympathy. Obviously terminal illnesses are no laughing matter in any way shape or form but laughter can be the best medicine for any ailment in life.


	27. A Day at the Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Figuring out who Back Chat is supposed to be about is the least of Brian's concerns...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw the timeline! It's the Hot Space era (and the title A Day at the Races is just there to throw you off), but Freddie does not have a mustache yet for reasons we will soon see... Yes his mustache is plot relevant! So yeah picture 1979 Freddie even though it's Hot Space. Also I have no clue how old the boys are at this point in the timeline. Whatever you want. Brian's hair is always the same. Imagine Roger with long hair or short hair it doesn't matter. And any hairdo you want for Deaky: Long, short, floof...it's up to you. Whatever. I've completely given up on the timeline. Honestly, things IRL are super stressful for me right now, and on top of everything else my aunt is in the hospital so I'm just writing this as a form of escapism and because it's super fun and stress relieving. I'm sorry if the quality is shit, but if you've read this far, then you'll probably disagree with me on that. So heads up this chapter's dark and kinda angsty but I promise an eventual happy ending. I can't thank you enough for continuing to leave such kind comments. I feel so loved when I hear from you guys and I mean it when I say it makes my day.
> 
> Sorry for that little ramble. Now here's the next chapter!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: There is a minor bit of PTSD and recovery from abuse in this chapter as well as a violent scene. It's brief but just be aware if that kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable.

_Brian's POV_

_I wasn't sure where I was. I was overlooking a long dark hallway that never seemed to end, and I couldn't stop my feet from being compelled to trudge forward. I tried to turn around, but there was nothing but darkness behind me._

_"Hello?" I called into the void ahead, my voice echoing across the empty hall making me feel more alone._

_Thankfully, I wasn't by myself for much longer because a little silhouett_ _o_ _of a man appeared in front of me. As I got closer,_ _the figure_ _became more clear. Freddie stood before me in an all black suit with a black tie. "Freddie!" I exclaimed, so relived to see a familiar face. "Where are we?"_

_The frontman did not appear so happy to see me on the other hand. Freddie just stared at me solemnly and expressionless. "I tried my best to save him. I truly did. But by the time my magic worked, it was too late. He was already gone." His voice was devoid of its usual warmth._

_"Who?" I cried. "What's going on?"_

_"We have to say goodbye now. It's time. I'm sorry. He's gone. There's nothing we can do."_

_"Who's gone? You're not making any sense, Fred!"_

_"It's time." Freddie repeated ominously._

_The end of the hallway became visible and suddenly I could make out a door that I swear wasn't there before. Feeling like Alice chasing the white rabbit, I ran after Freddie who skidded to a stop at the end of the hall before disappearing behind the door. Behind me, the path that took me here was gone, replaced by that same darkness like the event horizon of a black hole. Praying it wasn't locked, I turned the knob of this mysterious wooden door. Sure enough, it opened giving way to a small dingy room._

_Freddie was waiting for me in the center of the room. Behind him an open casket was up against the wall, and Deaky bent over it sobbing. "Take your time, dear." Freddie said softly. "It's so hard to say_ _that sad eyed_ _goodbye."_

_Whoever was in the casket deserved a better funeral than this. The three of us were the only ones here. Now that the wooden door behind me disappeared and was consumed by the growing darkness, there was no exit to this drab, claustrophobic room. We wouldn't be able to carry the coffin outside to give the deceased a proper burial. I wish I knew who we were grieving over, but at least I was conveniently dressed in a respectful black suit like Freddie and John for the tragic occasion._

_"Time to say goodbye, darling. I'm so sorry. He's gone." Freddie said again ushering me over to the casket._

_I took one look inside and just shook my head in denial. This had to be a joke! "No." I decided. "This isn't funny!"_

_"Funerals are never funny, darling. I'm so, so sorry. I wish this weren't so hard for all of us, especially you, but you have to accept that Roger is dead. There was nothing we could do."_

_Roger was lying there lifelessly with his tail so dry and shriveled it was no longer a shimmering blue, but rather a flat grayish white color. His eyes were softly shut. I couldn't breathe. This wasn't real. He couldn't leave me. Not like this. I nudged him gently. "Wake up!" I hissed. Not a single movement, he was still as a corpse. "Wake up!" I shouted more urgently. "Come on, Rog! Open your eyes." When Roger still didn't respond, I felt the tears spilling down my cheeks despite becoming totally numb. "Wake up, honey! I need you!" I screamed. I leaned down, kissing his cold soft lips. "Why won't you wake up? Please, please..."_

"Wake up!"

I was met with wide vibrant blue eyes, very much awake and aware. Roger was alive, and he was shaking me with concern. "Brimi, wake up!" I just took one look at him in all of his beauty and bawled.

"No, no, no! It was just a bad dream. Please don't cry. I'm here, baby. I've got you. It was just a nightmare." Roger shushed me, taking me in his arms. I didn't even care that crossing over to his side of the bed got me wet, I felt safe in Roger's embrace.

"But you weren't here. You were gone..." I blinked back my tears, slowly returning back to the waking world which I was so grateful to be apart of where I had my angelic siren at my side always. "All dead and gone." I murmured, now much more calm with Roger holding me.

"Me? Dead? No way! I'm like one of Freddie's cats. I've got nine lives. You know how much crazy shit I've escaped. Besides, I'd never ever leave you, Bri. You've got to believe that. It was just a nightmare, love. Nothing's going to happen to me. I promise."

"Promise?" I sniffled, in need of the conformation.

"I pinky promise!" Roger held up his pinky and locked it with my shaky one.

"Love you." I sighed, flopping back down against the pillow. "You have no idea how much I do."

"Mmm. Love you too." Roger leaned over to the dry side of the bed to kiss me. I eventually had to break off the kiss, knowing if I didn't Roger would willingly give up his air to continue. Our sleeping system with two beds pushed together was inconvenient at times, but wasn't as bad as the cumbersome pillow trick we had to use on tour in hotels that didn't offer a waterbed. I'd gladly take both options over having Roger sleep in the bathtub.

"Can you breathe?" I confirmed when Roger's neck was once again submerged so his gills could filter the water from the waterbed. I really didn't want my nightmare to become a reality.

"I can go without air long enough to kiss you. It's like holding your breath. You can do it for a while before you start to get uncomfortable. We could've kissed a bit longer." He complained.

"I just had a dream where I saw you limp and lifeless in a coffin. I'm not taking any chances." The memory was still so fresh, but I refused to let it bother me because Roger was really here and he promised (even better pinky promised) me he wouldn't leave.

"It was just a bad dream, babe. I'm alright." Roger said. He reached up for the pill bottle resting on the dresser. Knowing that he'd gain a human lower body and be completely naked after the transformation, I looked away out of habit. "Do you still need privacy?" I asked as I heard him deflating the water bed.

"I don't understand why you always act so prude. We're having sex on a nightly basis and you've seen me naked countless times."

"I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable." I said daring to peek. Roger was always exquisite in his true form, but there was something about him that was so precious with his wobbly legs poking out from beneath my t-shirt which covered him down to his knees.

"You know what I think," Roger said as he steadied himself, "I think your nightmare was the result of stress. We're working too hard. We should take the day off. "

It was tempting, but it just didn't seem right. "No. Freddie will have our heads if we skip work today. We're already behind the deadline."

"Freddie's always late. We're behind because of him. Besides, maybe we can turn this into a strike. No drummer and no guitarist until we get our sound back. We're a rock band not some groovy disco dance group. We can't let Freddie and John get away with Hot Mess."

"Hot Space." I corrected him firmly. "I might not be a fan of all this experimentation, but I stand by it because it's still us. Although some of their songs could use a bit more input from me. What do you think of John's new song?"

"Back Chat?" Roger asked, smirking slightly. "Um...What do you make of it?"

"Are you okay with it not having a guitar solo? Freddie doesn't seem to have a problem with it, but it just feels empty to me. I have some other notes as well but I'll save them for when I'm in the studio with Deaky."

"Um..."

"Roger?" He was acting twitchy like he was trying to keep a straight face despite someone telling a dirty joke at the dinner table.

"Do you know what the song is about, Bri?"

"Well isn't it obvious. It's about Freddie, right?" I figured. "He tries to overtake creative control and is always talking back."

Roger blinked several times his face displaying no emotion I could read. "Oh God you're serious, aren't you?"

What wasn't I seeing here?"Am I missing something about the song? Because I've pretty much analyzed it line for line, like I do with every song we work on."

"How is it possible that you're the smartest  _and_ dumbest person I know!" Roger exclaimed.

"Am I wrong? If it's not about Freddie, then who is it about?" Who else was there? John and Roger squabbled over genres with Roger championing for rock and roll over disco, but their disputes didn't warrant a song like this. It had to be Freddie.

I felt like there was a person I had factored out the equation, someone I was missing. It was just Freddie and Roger though, who else was there? I pondered over who John could be calling out in the song as I got ready. Somehow despite racking my brain, I still finished before Roger. I waited for him to perfect his hairstyle. To take my mind off things, I turned on the telly.

_"Hello everyone!  For those of you just joining me, I'm here live for the first annual Day at the Races at Lloyd's Magical Zoo."_

Well this was hideous and a perfect thing besides my horrendous nightmare to ruin my morning. Lloyd was standing, that's right standing, next to the reporter with a smile on his face. They were situated in front of a large tank. What bothered me more was the crowd gathered behind them. People were actually supporting this madhouse!

_"Lloyd, your zoo has sparked massive popularity all across the civilization since its debut last month. Tickets are sold out for weeks ahead of time. How did a disgraced hunter like yourself reach this level of success?"_

_"I was never disgraced. I had my license stripped for_ _a_ _simpl_ _e_ _disagreement over method."_ Lloyd lied through his teeth as usual. Faking polio was not something that could brushed aside so casually.  _"But with all these magical rights protestors taking away jobs of hunters, my zoo gives_ _my community_ _employment options. And the protestors are no longer mad because I'm rescuing these creatures from laboratories. The entire civilization--no the entire WORLD--can agree that  my zoo is great for everyone! But I can't take all the credit. My head zookeeper Bob oversees day to day operations including exciting activities such as A Day at the Races. And of course I recruited former music manager Ray Foster to be in charge of training the creatures and disciplining them if they ever step out of line."_

"NO!" I screamed at the TV in disgust.

"Is everything okay, babe?" Roger's voice echoed from the bathroom.

"Um yeah everything's fine." I lied.

_"Well people are upset that you don't honor soulmate vows. Why don't you keep soulmates together?"_

Oh God! Lloyd was stealing the one possible saving grace of an otherwise doomsday situation. They'd be willing to hold me in captivity alongside Roger if he were ever caught. But not according to Lloyd.

 _"I don't think it's necessary to keep soulmates together. I know it's an unpopular position, but it's just not practical. I can assure that the creatures are well taken care of, but at the moment I cannot afford these two for one deals. Unless the auction houses start offering better bargains, I have to continue to purchase my animals one at a time. They're lucky if they're selected to be a part of my zoo. I treat them better than most hunters and laboratories_ _,_ _and they have a better life here than in the outskirts. This is best option for them, and I think the civilization is starting to understand that now."_ Lloyd explained.

 _"You've also been in the news a lot lately for throwing around accusations that Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor of Queen are magical creatures."_ The reporter said making my stomach twist into knots.

" _Currently, I'm investigating. As soon as I gather enough evidence to prove everyone right, Freddie and Roger will receive court order to turn themselves into the  auction house."_ Lloyd had a crazy but determined look in his eye. This meant trouble.

_"Do you have any evidence?"_

_"Bob and I have both seen Roger Taylor with a tail with our own two eyes, but eyewitness testimony is not enough. As for Freddie, well we've been looking into the archive at Galileo Labs. Long ago there was a muse there who went by the name of Farrokh Bulsara. We can't find any files on him, it's like he's disappeared altogether, but we do have a lead. The last person seen with this mysterious muse is a man who goes by the name of Paul Prenter. All we have to do is track him down and have him confirm for us that Freddie and Farrokh are the same person..."_

Already uneasy, I jumped when I heard a thud from behind me. Roger had dropped his hairbrush. He stared at the screen eyes wide and mouth agape. I turned off the TV, not wanting to worry him further. "It's okay, honey. They don't have any real evidence as of now. And we have Miami on our side too. If anything happens, he can help us keep you safe."

"I think I know what we have to do." Roger said. "We have to kill the fruit fly. Think about it, Brian, if Prenter's out the picture, he can't throw Freddie under the bus. And I don't care what you have to say about peace and no violence, that son of a bitch deserves to die."

"No one deserves to die, Rog." I sighed even though part of me wanted to admit he was correct. "Besides, killing a demon is nearly impossible."

"Then we'll have to kill Lloyd."

"What? No! We're not killing anyone." I said firmly. There were some things I just wouldn't cave on no matter how much Roger stared at me with big begging puppy eyes. "Let's just lay low and try to stay out of the limelight for anything other than our music. C'mon, I'm sure a little studio time will help take our mind off things."

***

Surprisingly, we arrived to the studio early and were the first ones there. Usually Deaky or one of the sound engineers was around before us. I didn't appreciate the silence because it allowed my mind to wander to dark places. "You wanna start without them?"I pushed a distraction forward.

Speak of the devil, John burst through the door looking more disheveled than normal. His bushy hair was uncombed and his shirt was put on inside out and the top button was open. Dark bags formed beneath his eyes. This album was putting a lot of stress on all of us, but now I was starting to see its effects directly on John. Maybe I was being too hard on him with all the constructive feedback I kept giving him? No, that couldn't be it. The boys knew I was a perfectionist, and we worked well together.

"We really need that day off." Roger remarked taking one look at the tired bassist. "Fuck Freddie. He'll probably show up two or three hours late anyways. Let's go to the beach and put this album out of our mind."

"No, no...Fred will be here soon...He just...Well, you know how he gets when he's preoccupied with something." Deaky murmured.

"What's his excuse this time?" Roger asked.

"Maybe we'll forgive him if it's something reasonable." I tried to remain optimistic for once.

"He um lost something...I'm not sure what...He was too frantic to give me a straight answer. It must've been something really important because he was up all night destroying the house looking for it. He didn't sleep, and the noise kept me up and startled the cats. Anyway he said he'd meet me here as soon as he found whatever it was he's looking for. Probably just lost his shoe again. Give him some time and he'll realize that he can sing himself a new one." John explained.

"Anyone up for a game of Scrabble while we wait for him?" It seemed like Roger was thwarting his responsibilities or he just wanted a rematch from the last time I beat him. I did have to reclaim my title as champion.

"Sounds good. We won't get much done without Freddie anyway 'cause he does all the vocals on Back Chat." Deaky agreed.

"Listen, John, about that song--"

"--I'm going to win this time!" Roger cut me off placing the Scrabble board done on the table. My criticisms of the track were shortly forgotten. "In your dreams!"

"Here we go again." John sighed taking a seat.

I got lucky with my pick of tiles and was able to use all of them on my first turn placing the word 'rabbits' on the board kicking off the game with a high score.

"You think you're so smart don't you, poodle puff?" Roger mocked. "How 'bout this!" He used my 'a' in rabbits to spell Maylor. Wait a minute...

"Roger, that's not a word!"

"Yes it is!" He insisted. "And it even earned me a triple word score! Look at what space the 'y' landed on. That gives me more points than you."

"If it's not in the dictionary, then it doesn't count, you little cheater. I'm sure you agree with me, John." I said ignoring Roger's protests as I removed his tiles from the board and returned them to him.

Roger responded as expected. He threw the tiles rights back at my face and flipped over the board. "Deaky is right! You always have to get your way, don't you!"

"Leave me out of this, Rog!" Deaky spoke up.

"Yes when did John ever say that about me?" I struggled to remember Deaky ever voicing that kind of criticism.

"He doesn't know?" Deaky asked sharing a secret snicker with Roger.

"What don't I know?" I questioned.

"I tried to protect you, Bri. I really did." Roger said. "But the truth hurts. You tell him, Deaks, it's your song."

John took a deep breath. "Brian, what I clearly haven't gotten across well enough to you is that I'm sick of you meddling in song ideas. You twist them around and change them so that they're unrecognizable."

"That's not true." I cried. "We work as a team. I merely give suggestions so we don't compromise our sound. I think there should still be some semblance of traditional rock and roll in our records. Roger will agree with me on that. Right, Rog?"

"Yeah of course, but Deaky also has a point that you can't just leave stuff alone. You're always..."

"Backchatting." John said bluntly.

"Like your song? But why would...Ohh." Well that explained a lot. Back Chat had been about me all along. "Deaky, why didn't you tell me you felt this way?"

"I did, Brian. Youjust didn't listen. All you ever do is talk back."

I tried to listen now and figure out where I went wrong. I never meant to hurt my friend. Maybe Roger was right and we needed some time away from it all. A vacation sounded nice.

"I agree with you on everything about Bri," Roger interjected, "but there's still nothing good in the song apart from the percussion."

"Of course you would say that." John shook his head.

"Well I'm proud of you, Deaky!" I said recalling a time when he could barely look me in the eye let alone voice his opinions about my inconsiderate work habits.

John perked up. "Does this mean the guitar solo stays out of it?"

"I wouldn't go that far..."

"DARLINGS!" Freddie made a dramatic entrance, frantically rushing into the studio with tears in his eyes. "MY DARLINGS, ARE YOU IN HERE?"

"You don't have to yell, Fred. We're right here." Deaky said.

"BUT IT'S AN EMERGENCY!"

"So I take it you still haven't found your shoe?" Roger chuckled.

Freddie had breakdowns over frivolous things like shoes and eyeliner a lot, but something told me this was more serious. "What's wrong, Freddie?"

"I fucked up! I'm so, so sorry." He wailed.

"What did you do?" Deaky asked now showing concern. Freddie ran to him giving him a hug before breaking into sobs. "Ahh, it's alright, sweetheart." John cooed. "Talk to us. You need to stop torturing yourself by....running rampant like a madman and not answering any of our questions. What did you lose? If it's Delilah's favorite cat food brand, we can just buy a new bag."

"No..I...He has my painting..." His teary eyes met mine. ' _I'm sorry,_ _Brian_ _. It's all my fault.'_

"What is?" I cried, reminded again of my nightmare. Freddie could tell me anything other than that ominous "he's gone".

"My um...mysterious sender is back."  Freddie displayed a letter written in the same unfamiliar handwriting as the person who presented him with the spell book.

_Hello again Farrokh,_

_Trying to track you down has put my life in danger. And somehow you_ _ still  _ _don't know who I am and all the people who are out there looking  for you. I don't have much time. I think this may be the last time I ever write to you, and I fear we will never meet in person. As I write this I'm looking at your painting of your friends, Brian and Roger. It's the only thing from you that I have, and I'll cherish it forever. You are so talented!  Of course I've heard you sing, but I never knew what a good artist you are. I am so proud of_

The letter just ended like that. There was nothing else written on the page. Its incompletion made it all the more frightening.  "What painting is he referring to?" Roger asked.

"I fucked up." Freddie repeated.

"What painting?" Roger demanded.

"Do you remember the time you and Brian fell asleep together in my Jacuzzi?"

Vaguely, but I could sense where this was going. Before Freddie could explain further, Roger jumped to conclusions. "You need to stop drawing pictures of people while they sleep, Freddie. It's fucking creepy!"

"But Delilah lets me do it all the time. And you two looked so cute together. I was going to gift it to you on your anniversary. It was innocent, I swear! How was I supposed to know that some bloody stocker was going to sneak past all of my security in Garden Lodge and steal the painting!"

"I don't understand." Deaky said. "How could someone break in without our knowledge? And Freddie, why didn't you tell me earlier? I asked you repeatedly what you were looking for. Why didn't you show me the letter and explain what was going on instead of tearing the house apart." 

"B-Because I fucking panicked. I'm sorry Deaky. But this is really bad. I promised myself I would never put us in a situation like this, and yet here we are."

"Let's just all calm down." I advised. "We're assuming the worst."

"Of course we are because this is the worst thing that could happen!" Roger cried. "Someone out there has a picture of me in my true form. I'm fucked! Lloyd's gonna take me away to his zoo where I'll be sliced and diced and filleted."

"But it's just a painting. It's not a real photograph." I reasoned. "Everything is going to be fine." Or maybe I was just in denial because I didn't want my nightmare coming true. Dear lord, what was I going to do if they came for my sweet siren? I couldn't imagine poor Roger in the clutches of someone evil like Lloyd or Ray Foster or... Wait a minute

"Freddie, can I see that letter again?" I examined it one more time because there was something oddly eye catching about the creamy color of the stationary. And sure enough when I flipped the piece of paper over I spotted the logo of Foster Industries. "I believe we've discovered who's after you."

"Are you kidding me!" Roger cried. "I thought we were done with that wanker!"

"Death on two legs." Freddie groaned. "You really think Foster's the one behind this, Bri?"

"It must be. He wrote all his official letterheads on this stationary." I reasoned and Deaky nodded. "Makes sense."

"So what are we going to do?" Freddie asked.

"Well maybe we should call Miami and see if there is anything that can be done to keep Foster away from us. Maybe a restraining order or something." I suggested.

I was about to make the phone call when an officer walked into the studio. I froze.  _'No!'_ I thought.  _'Not now! Please! Give us more time. I'm not ready to say goodbye yet.'_

"Roger Taylor!" The officer called.

"You can't do this!" Roger shouted.

"Relax. I'm not here to arrest you. If that were the case, I would've come armed with hunters. I'm just giving you a summoning. You have 48 hours." The officer handed him a manilla envelope. "And your friends here are gonna have to be questioned as well." He passed out additional letters to us. "See you at the auction house...or else."

My letter was identical to Freddie and John's.

_Dear Mr. May,_

_Roger Taylor, someone you are closed to, has been flagged for possible magical affiliations. We request that you show up to the local civilization courthouse for questioning. You may schedule a date and time within the next 48 hours by phone. If you do not comply with the questioning within the next 48 hours unless explicitly told otherwise, you will be arrested._

_Sincerely,_

_Civilization Bureau of Magical Creatures_

"Calling Miami seems like a  _really_ good idea right about now." John said, his letter nearly falling out of his shaking hands. I wanted to comfort both him and Freddie who had gone so pale, but there was someone who needed me more at the moment.

"Roggie?"

He was reading his own letter blinking back tears. "T-They can't do this. Please, Brimi, tell me that they can't do this."

_Dear Mr. Taylor,_

_Evidence has come forward revealing you as a siren. It is a felony for magical creatures to live in the civilization without being registered in the official database and assigned to a person or organization to oversee their daily activities and usage of magic. You have 48 hours to surrender yourself to the local auction house. There is one located in each district within the civilization for your convenience. If this is a mistake, you will have the chance to clear your name as you will undergo a mandatory DNA test once in custody. Otherwise, you will be detained in the auction house unless claimed by a purchaser. You have the right to request a judge If you do not arrive to the auction house within the next 48 hours unless explicitly told otherwise, you will be arrested. Enclosed please find the photographed evidence collected._

_Sincerely,_

_Civilization Bureau of Magical Creatures_

I looked at the pictures taken of Freddie's painting. He captured us perfectly. The bottom of my curls were damp as I lay sleeping with my back against the wall of the Jacuzzi. Roger's angelic sleeping face was nestled against the crook of my neck, his tail resting across my knees. We were both smiling as we had our arms wrapped around each other in our slumber. It was a beautiful picture filled with the emotion we were sharing that night, one of love and harmony unlike the turmoil we were facing now.

Below a caption read in Freddie's cursive:  _For Brian and Roger, the soft hunter and sweet siren. Happy anniversary, my darlings! Love you always -FM_

Roger crumpled the photograph and threw it onto the ground. "I hope you're happy, Freddie! You fucked up everything!"

"I know." Freddie bowed his head ashamedly. "Darling, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I--"

"--Save it!" Roger picked up the balled photograph and threw it at Freddie's face.

"I-I'll call Miami." I said trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice.

***

"Thank you again for meeting us on such short notice." I told the lawyer.

"Well it is certainly an emergency this time." Miami said as he looked over the letters and the now torn and crumpled photograph of Freddie's damning painting. "You could refute this as insufficient evidence, but they'll argue that the best way to prove yourself human is to undergo the DNA test which would do the very opposite. I also wouldn't suggest the freedom hearing. There's no jury and the judges are almost always bias. Even if you do win, the hunter you're assigned to likely won't be Brian."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Roger cried.

"I didn't say that." Miami assured us. "Although the solution I have in mind is not very conventional."

"Will it keep him safe?" I demanded.

"That's up to you, Brian, because my suggestion is that you claim him."

Freddie rolled his eyes, John tensed, Roger clenched his fists, and I just blinked in confusion. "C-Claim him?" Miami couldn't possibly mean... "If you come forward, you can claim Roger from the auction house before he's sold to someone else."

"No!" I cried, mortified. "Why would I ever agree to dehumanizing Roger like that?"

"Exactly. I'm my own person. I don't belong to anyone." He shouted.

"Besides, wouldn't I be imprisoned if I came forward? Knowingly helping a magical creature in hiding is against the law. They wouldn't let me keep Roger while I'm in prison." I continued to remain in denial, waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up.

"I can arrange for you to be granted clemency. Most judges and juries are sympathetic to hunters and would like to see magical creatures be placed in a hunter's custody. And the claim can mean nothing beyond the piece of paper for legal purposes. Everything between you and Roger will remain exactly the same. This just ensures that he'll stay safe and won't be subjected to the horrors of what follows if he ends up purchased by someone else."

Now I was starting to understand. On paper I'd be Roger's "master" which disgusted me, but nothing would change, and Roger would be forever protected.

Deaky whimpered and Freddie reached for his hand to comfort him. "It's okay, darling, Brimi loves us and would never ever treat us the way other hunters would."

"I would never!" I cried. "I don't want to be in this position. Miami, are you sure there's nothing else we can do? Something that's not so drastic?"

"I need to go home." Roger whispered, the tears finally forming in his eyes and streaming down his cheeks.

"Okay, honey. I'll take you home. We'll shut out the world and just stay in bed."  _'That won't solve anything!'_ A voice in the back of my head shouted.

"No." Roger shook his head. "I have to go home home. The same way Ziggy made himself disappear. Only I can't change my appearance and identity. The only thing I can do is go back to the ocean."

"You're leaving us?" Freddie cried. "Roger, how could you? What about Queen? What about our family?"

"What about me?" It was a selfish thing to ask, but I did it nonetheless. "I'm in too deep, Roggie! I can't just let you go! Not after everything. You promised me you'd never leave me. You pinky promised!"

"But the only other option is to become your inferior. I can't bring myself to do that, Bri. I hope you understand."

"Bollocks!" Freddie blurted. "Deaky, stop thinking about Tim. And Roger, just accept that it's a meaningless title in order to keep you safe and nothing more. You're bloody insane if you think this will change anything between you and Brian. You'll never be subservient in his eyes. It's still our same Brimi not matter what. And he's doing this to protect you."

Freddie surprised me with his outburst.  I was still opposed to the idea of placing a claim over Roger, but I'd do anything to keep him safe. At least Freddie was helping to get across that the gesture held no significance other than to keep Roger out of harms way, and I'd always treat him with nothing less than love and respect.

"Easy for you to say. Nobody's gonna be owning your ass, Freddie. And need I remind you that we're only in this situation because of your mistake!" Roger snapped.

"I won't own you, Roger. You'll still have your freedom. It's just a piece of paper assuring that Ray Foster or Lloyd or anyone who would want to hurt you doesn't get his hands on you. You're always my equal, honey. I love you more than you can--"

"--Just shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear you justify this, Brian. It's sick! I-I don't want this. I'd rather leave you than bow down to you."

That stung. It really did. Roger seemed to realize that his harsh words broke my fragile heart, but he knew he couldn't take them back ."S-Sorry. I um didn't mean that." He murmured lamely. "I...need some space."

"Whatever you need." I replied coldly letting him walk out the door.

"Why don't you go home and think it over?" Miami advised. "You still have over 39 hours left until you have to make your decision."

"You'll get through this." Freddie said. "Eventually Roger will wise up and accept the deal because it's better than the alternative." 

"Thanks for standing up for me, Fred." I sighed. "But Roger is right in some ways. It would be so demeaning for him. Even if it is just a title, I don't know how our relationship won't be affected just knowing that the world officially recognizes him as nothing more than my pet."

Deaky stood behind Freddie sobbing softly. "It'll be alright, John." I told him. "We'll find a way to work this out."

"He's just emotional. This whole thing is brining back...memories." Freddie shuddered, putting his arm around his soulmate. "Shh, shh. It's alright, love. You're safe. You're not in Tim's hellish garage anymore. You're here with me, darling."

It was easy to forget how this also affected the others in addition to me and Roger. Why did this have to happen now? John was making enough progress to directly challenge me. I still didn't like Back Chat, but I'd give anything to see Deaky come back to life and not retreat back into his unhealed shell. But emotional wounds don't work like that. Unlike the scars and lashes I tended to when I first found John, some invisible damages couldn't be as easily cured.

"I'll have my driver take you home because it looks like Roger already left without you." Freddie offered. I looked out the window only to find that Roger's car was no longer in the parking lot leaving me stranded at the studio. That bastard! I couldn't be mad at him. Not now at least. There wasn't much time left, so I planned to love him like there's no tomorrow. But an even more sinister thought passed through my mind. "You don't think he's going back to the ocean?"

"No." Freddie said. "He wouldn't do that without saying goodbye."

I prayed Freddie was right as his trustworthy driver Terry came to pick us up. Deaky was in no state to drive, so he left his car in the parking lot for now. He sat in the backseat with his head down, sniffling back his tears as Freddie helped him with his seatbelt and tried to calm him down. "Terry, darling, can you drop Brian off before you take us back to Garden Lodge?"

"Of course. Is everything alright? You all seem so distraught."

"Just a very stressful day." I stated as I got into the passenger seat. "Thanks for the ride. I appreciate it."

"We'll be fine, dear." Freddie said dismissing Terry's concerned gazes through the rearview mirror.

The car skidded to a stop at the mansion that Roger and I called home. It wasn't too far from Garden Lodge, just a few blocks away. "Just try to be there for him as best you can." Freddie said. 

I nodded. "That's all I can ever do."

"I'm so sorry, Bri." He apologized again. "I'll never forgive myself."

In fairness, the painting would have been a nice gesture if it didn't lead to our downfall. How could I ever blame Freddie for this disaster? "It's okay. We'll fix this mess. You take care of Deaky for me, alright?"

"Always." He agreed.

With that, I shut the car door and watched as they drove away. I took a deep breath to compose myself before rushing into the mansion. "Roger?" I called. ' _Please don't leave me.'_ I thought desperately.

Rex suddenly charged at me as to be expected. I laughed and gave the dog an affectionate pet. "You're not my Roger." I cooed. "Do you know where he is?"

Rex barked in response and I followed him up the stairs. I heard the sound of the television coming from the bedroom and figured Roger was in there even though Rex went off in another direction. I knocked on the door as Rex returned with a tennis ball in his mouth. "You in here, Rog?"

In one swift motion, the door swung open and Roger leapt into my arms with a force nearly knocking me down. "Ahh. It's okay, honey." I consoled him as he collapsed into a series of sobs against my shoulder. "Cry it out. It's alright."

I carried him over to the dry half of the bed and positioned ourselves so that we were comfortable. "I promise we'll be okay." I whispered.

Roger looked up at me with tears sparkling in his blue eyes "Pinky promise?" I wiped them dry. "Pinky promise."

I continued to hold him as I shifted my attention to the telly. The sight on screen was worthy of any horror movie but it seemed too real to be the result of special effects. A tank of water was tainted red from blood with dismembered sirens floating alongside an encircling shark chomping on anything he could dig his teeth into.

 _"And that ends the Shark Chase event here at the annual Day at the Races at Lloyd's Magical Zoo which is proving to be a real success."_  The reporter announces in a starkly contrasting chipper voice. " _If the siren you bet on lasted more than 10 minutes, you are eligible for a cash prize! Stay tuned for the Dragon Attack."_

I turned off the television in disgust, trying my best not to gag. "How could the world be this cruel?" I cried. I thought we had long moved past enslaving magical creatures and forcing them to fight to the death for our own sick entertainment. The Colosseum was one of the only replicas left of that darker era of the civilization. But it seemed like we had traveled backwards.

"C-Claim me." Roger whispered. "I don't fucking care. I just...I can't end up like that. Poor Clare will probably see it all go down because she knows how to get surface stations on her TV at home. I can't imagine what she makes of all this. I don't even want to think about it. She's so innocent, Brimi. She shouldn't have to worry about this kind of stuff."

"No one should be exposed to this period." I said firmly. "And I swear I'll do everything in my power to keep you far away from it all."

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Roger sighed. "Sometimes I just let my anger get the best of me and don't think about what I say. I know you'd never hurt me or belittle me or any of that. I just...the thought of being owned sent me into a spiral I couldn't quite control."

"No, Roger. You don't need to apologize. You don't owe me any explanation. And I'd understand if you choose to leave or find another solution. I would never force you to give up your freedom."

"If I ever threaten to leave you again you have permission to call me a dumb car fucker." Roger snuggled closer to me. "I didn't mean it." He said again. "I'd never ever leave. I can't. I love you too much."

"I love you too." I said. "No matter what."

_Delilah's POV_

People are stupid. Freddie spent hours searching for a certain painting, one of Brian and Roger I think. Meanwhile he still had all of his paintings of me which were far superior, and he could always paint more of them. I loved my muse, but he could be overwhelming at times. It was nice to have a quiet house again while he away was at the studio. It was time to nap on Freddie's piano! I purred when I reached my throne overlooking all the other cats. Being Queen of Garden Lodge was fun. I curled into a ball and was about to fall asleep when Romeo scampered by. He spit out a mouse and pushed it forward with his paws.  _'For you, my love.'_ Yay! Yummy mouse! Romeo was the best! I hopped down and devoured it in one bite. This was the best life I could ask for. Absolutely nothing could go wrong...

My ears perked when I heard someone at the front door. Was Freddie back already? Hopefully he didn't send someone over like Mary or Bowie to babysit us. I liked them fine, but I preferred to run the house on my own. Freddie could trust me. That's what best friends are for.

 _'There's an intruder!'_ Romeo hissed. That had me on alert. Time to protect my territory. I meowed out to warn the other cats of the danger.

"And you even managed to steal the key to Bucky's mansion and everything? Man, how dumb isthat muse!" I immediately recognized the voice. It belonged to Bob, the man who would take pleasure out of torturing Freddie in the lab. I sniffed to confirm his scent, but he wasn't alone. That fucker Lloyd was with him.

"Believe it or not getting the key to this place was an accident." Lloyd explained. "I took one of Freddie's jackets that he left behind on a chair. It was this bright obnoxious yellow color. I thought I could gather some DNA off of it. But I didn't get very far before it literally vanished in my hands like magic. All that was left was this key which I presumed he kept in the pocket. And now here we are."

"Bucky probably cursed the ugly jacket with his muse magic." Bob scoffed. "So we got the painting last night, but we had to run out before they woke up and caught us red handed. What do we need now?"

 _'You no good thieves!'_ I growled.

"Well Galileo Labs may have lost all their records of Farrokh Bulsara, but they still have an entire file dedicated to the cat kept with him alongside the study. If the lead hunter hadn't confiscated my fake wheelchair after my license was stripped, I could have gotten the cat's fur off the chair from the time I purposefully ran over the pitiful creature. It would've been a match to Farrokh's cat. Thus proving that Freddie and Farrokh are the same damn muse."

 _'Not on my watch you bastards!'_ I motioned to the other cats and we formed a protectively wall in front of the living room. We were prepared to pounce.

"Makes sense." Bob nodded. "So after you capture Bucky, can I play with the other muse you caught? You can't keep her locked up with Ray Foster forever you know. Eventually she'll have to join the rest of the animals in the zoo."

Other muse? Freddie was the only muse I knew. They were so rare from what I heard. I wondered if Freddie knew this other muse. I'd have to talk to him about it.

"Now is not the time, Bob! Let's just catch that damn cat...." Lloyd stopped when he saw all of us lined up and hissing angrily at them. "Wow! That's a lot of cats! Why does he have so many? Quick, which one is Delilah?"

 _'Claws out, ladies and gentlemen.'_ I instructed.

 _'We die defending our muse and our kibbles!'_ Oscar declared.

The intruders thankfully weren't after our kibbles. If they were, they'd be dead already. But I wanted to keep my kitty army motivated, so I didn't say anything. ' _Attack on 3. 1...2...."_

Lloyd tossed the ball of yarn that Lily had left lying out, and just like that my loyal army fled. No!  _'Traitors!'_ I screamed as Bob made a grab for me. I backed away from him and hid beneath the table, shaking uncontrollably.

"Here, kitty-kitty! Come on Delilah! We won't hurt you." Bob crouched down and tried to get to me. I snapped at him and swiped my paw managing to scratch him. "OW! You stupid fucking cat!"

"We just need her DNA, Bob. Fur, nail clipping--anything you can get." Lloyd instructed.

 _'Leave me alone!'_ I whimpered.

My ears twitched when I heard someone else approaching the front door. It was Freddie and Deaky! Thank goodness this nightmare was over.

"I know what will make you feel better, lovie, I'll make you a warm cheese toastie and tuck you in with the cats for a cuddly nap. How does that sound?" Freddie said to his soulmate.

' _Freddie help!'_ I screamed. ' _Lloyd and Bob broke in!'_

"Shit! What do we do boss?"Bob whispered.

Lloyd knocked his accomplice out of the way, and the next thing I knew his thick hand was constraining my mouth like muzzle. Despite my clawing and squirming, Lloyd scooped me up and carried me over to the window. I was being catnapped! I struggled to break free from his grip, but he had me too tight. This was not good!

"Won't he notice that his cat's missing?" Bob cried as the duo escaped out the window with me in their clutches.

"He has all the other cats. What difference does it make? Besides he'll be in our hands soon enough." Lloyd laughed evilly. "That's right, little one, once we've gotten what we need from you, we'll take our muse, and you can rejoin your brothers and sisters in the pound."

Oh hell no! I was not going to a filthy depressing pound where I'd likely be put down. At least in the lab I had a purpose, and I knew that since I was needed they wouldn't kill me. And I had Freddie of course. Freddie! Oh no! I had to get back to him somehow. He won't survive very long without me...or was it the other way around? Either way I needed to say adios to my catnappers and be on my way.

My scratching and biting wasn't working; Lloyd's grasp was unyielding. Time for Plan B or should I say Plan P.

"Oh! Disgusting!" Lloyd dropped me (don't worry cats always land on their feet). "That appalling thing urinated all over me! And I'm wearing my good suit."

 _'So long you sons of bitches!'_ I wiggled my tail defiantly and ran as fast as I could. My sensitive ears picked up their conversation about how my DNA was supposedly in my pee, but all I cared about was whether or not they were following me. It seemed like for now I was in the clear.

***

"You peed on him?" Freddie rolled his head back in laughter. "Oh Delilah, that's brilliant!"

Even Deaky seemed to perk up a bit at my story. I hopped from Freddie's lap onto to his to comfort him. I didn't know why Deaky was so blue. I understood Freddie was on edge because I got catnapped, but something seemed off.

"We'll need to get the locks changed ASAP." Freddie announced.

"Mhmm." John barely responded as he finished his cheese on toast. The phone ringing made him flinch and nearly choke on the bread. People are never that sound sensitive like cats, but Deaky was an exception because he got anxious and jumpy a lot.

I tried to get to the phone and nearly got it off the hook with my paws, but Freddie grabbed it before I could successfully answer.

"Brian! Darling, how is he?...Oh that is great news. See, I told you everything would work out! I'm gonna go tell Deaky." Freddie hung up the phone and rushed back to John.

"Roger's come to his senses. They're going through with Miami's claim idea. And Miami will get us all clemency so we don't need to worry about the pesky questioning. Is that fantastic?"

I had no clue what any of that meant but it seemed to upset John even more. His lower lip trembled. Without giving any indication, he ran into the bedroom. I followed curiously watching poor Deaky collapse onto the bed and cry into the pillow.

I knew what would cheer him up. Freddie foolishly sang to John and massaged his back, but I had the real solution! A quick fumbled through some drawers and I retrieved the glory of all glories: The rounded tubular mystery clicker. I brought it back to Deaky and clicked it with my nose making the powerful laser beam appear. Mesmerizing!

"Delilah, darling, not now please. Deaky needs me." Freddie sighed turning his attention back to the shapeshifter. "I hear everything, dear, but I think it would be helpful to you if you expressed your thoughts out loud. Just let it out. Alright? I'm here to be your shoulder to cry on, my love."

"W-Well, Tim would always threaten me if I misbehaved or tried to escape not only with punishments but with the promise that he'd report me and I'd be sent to a lab to be dissected and probed. B-But he...also vowed that as soon as he had enough money, he'd purchase a claim on me so that he'd officially own me. He said he was going to put a collar around my neck and if I ever ran away I'd be returned right back to him. A-And as my owner, he could kill me and get away with it."

"I'm going to kill him and get away with it." Freddie threatened darkly. He planted a kiss on Deaky's forehead. "But that's all in the past, darling. You're safe now. And I don't know why we're all suddenly having our doubts in Brian. To him, the ownership means nothing. He's only doing it because he has no other choice. Roger will be fine. You know that, Deaky. Brian was the one who helped you and showed you your worth before I found you and showed you how much you're loved."

' _I love Brimi.'_ I said. I glanced around to make sure Romeo wasn't around.

"But what if having this new authority over Roger triggers some sort of innate hunter instinct? It's in his blood, Freddie! Like it or not he's still a hunter."

"John Richard Deacon we do not adhere to stereotypes in this household!"

' _I hate dogs and stereotype them all as drooling dumbasses. Is that not allowed?'_

"No, Delilah, it's not. Every living creature has a heart and you need to look beyond their exterior. My Papa always told me to have good thoughts, good words, and good—"

_Ding-Dong!_

"Are you fucking kidding me! I'm trying to have an impactful moment here!" Freddie grumbled as he went to answer the door.

Deaky sat up. "Freddie, no! What if it's Bob and Lloyd?"

I followed Freddie to the door where he was greeted by an imposter pretending to be the mailman. Little did he know that I was very familiar with our mailman so I was onto him. This fraud handed Freddie a manila envelope and a letter marked for Deaky. He mentioned something about being summoned and then walked away.

' _That wasn't the real mailman.'_ I informed Freddie as he read his letter.

"I-I've been exposed like Roger. They know I'm a muse. I have 48 hours to turn myself in...My cat's urine is a direct match to the cat belonging to muse Farrokh Bulsara? What the fuck is wrong with them? Is that all the evidence they have against me? What's your letter, Deaks? Do they want to question you?"

John nodded shakily. "What are we going to do, Freddie? How are you so calm?"

"Brian can just claim me in addition to Roger. It's really no big deal. I'm surprised we didn't come up with this solution years ago. It would have solved us a lot of trouble. Maybe you can come forward too and Brian can claim all three of us. That way we don't have to lie anymore and we don't have to worry about getting caught. We're big enough right now that we can still have a small fan base left even if we do get boycotted. It's brilliant really! All that time we were so scared this would happen but here we have an answer right in front of our faces and we've been blind to it the whole time."

"No!" John shouted. "I'm not going back to a hunter's garage! I don't care what you say. Tim won't claim us! I won't let it happen."

 _'You mean Brian?'_ I asked.

"Brian isn't Tim. Brian's our best friend who would never ever hurt us or betray our trust." Freddie reminded him. "And whatever happens, the important thing is that we'll always be together."

' _I was catnapped today and I still made sure that I stayed with you.'_ I said curling myself by Freddie's feet.

"Yes that's my brave girl, Delilah." He cooed. "Let's try to be brave just like you my love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was a crazy long chapter with many twists and turns and it was pretty dark! Hopefully you liked it! I'm planning more one-shots from this series including something for Halloween. I'm also considering writing a spin-off about the Beatles that takes place in this universe. Hope everyone has a great day!


	28. Sail Away Sweet Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys turn themselves in and Freddie meets the mysterious sender.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pack your tissues. Lots of drama ahead. Very dark stuff be warned!! This is a general trigger warning for an all around MESSED UP chapter. Don't blame me, I saw Joker this weekend and that movie left me in a depressed mood. Man was it fucked up. But don't worry as bad as it gets, things do pick up for Freddie by the end of this chapter. Keep reading till the end I promise it gets better.
> 
> Cheers, darlings!

_Freddie's POV_

I held Deaky's shaky hand beneath the table as we looked down at the documents. Until now I was unable to understand his nerves, but seeing it in writing felt so wrong. I loved Brian and he'd always be my brother, but that didn't mean I was willing to transfer all my money and assets to him.

"So...everything will be in your name? Even Garden Lodge?"

Brian shifted uncomfortably in his chair looking to Miami. "Is there any other way we can protect their life earnings? I don't feel good about this."

"It's either this or everything they have will be sold along with them at the auction house." Miami bit his lip. "I'm so sorry boys. This must be very difficult for you."

"Very difficult?" Roger exploded, "We're about to lose our freedom. Our lives are on the line here! If this doesn't work out, we could die! Did you see the kinds of fucked up things Lloyd does in his zoo? It's a bloodbath!"

"These laws are ignorant and barbaric." Miami agreed. "But they are still the laws."

"S-So I've taken inventory of everything Freddie and I will no longer own." Deaky spoke up. I nearly cried when I saw all 10 of my cats' names on the list. So they weren't free either. I'd keep this revelation a secret from Delilah for now. I couldn't bring myself to break her heart with that kind of news. John looked up at Brian with a teary eyed nod. "My bass was never mine to begin with since you were the one who bought it."

"I bought it for  _you_! It should be yours. It  _is_ yours. Why the hell is the Deaky amp on this list? I shouldn't have the right to steal something you made! That's like you taking the red special from me." Brian cried.

The phone ringing offered a glorious escape from this tense and dismal situation. I rushed to answer it only to find that Delilah beat me to it. She held the phone with her paws and spoke into it with a series of curious meows. I shook my head. "Delilah, dear, I've told you countless times unless I'm the one on the other line, no one can understand you when you answer the phone." She was too cute to reprimand. I gave her a pet and took the phone from her. "Hello, darling, sorry about that. Delilah thinks she's queen of this castle."  _'This castle that will no longer belong to me once I sign that document.'_ What good was my freedom if everything was taken away from me?  "Freddie, is it true?" Elton's voice distracted me from my mind wandering down a dark path. Wait, if he knew about this...

"I know most of what the tabloids and news say about us are all lies, but I need to know. Are you alright? Are you really going to turn yourself in like they're saying? Because that would be suicide. You can't do it!"

Someone leaked to the press! Now the word was out. The civilization knew I was a muse. I thought it would be relieving in some sense to have this secret lifted, but it wasn't. "It's true. I'm a fucking muse." I admitted in defeat. "Oh, Sharon, darling, I should have confided in you a long time ago. I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologize for and you're not alone. Most of us are all undercover as well." Elton said.

"Most of us? Elton, are you--"  _Beep!_  Who else could be calling me? Why was I naive enough to assure Phoebe that I could answer my own phone while he took a much needed vacation? I figured if Delilah could do it, then so could I. "Hang on, darling, I'm getting another call." Hopefully I pushed the right button. ****

"Freddie, I'm so sorry." Bowie exclaimed. "I heard the horrible news. They're talking all about your exposure on the telly. People are already starting to place bids on you. What are you going to do?"

Before I could reply, Elton interjected. "He should do what you did, David, and not turn himself in. That's what I would do if I were ever exposed. I'd change my identity."

"Elton? I'm sorry I was calling for Freddie." Bowie blurted. "But it's always nice to hear from you."

"I'm here, my darlings, don't you worry! It's a three way call apparently. Phones are so confusing. I hope they don't get any more technologically advanced I'm not sure I can handle it. Sharon, dear, why didn't you tell me you were a magical creature?"

"The same reason you never told me your secret. So from a wizard to a muse, I'm telling you don't turn yourself in. It's not worth it. You'll lose everything. It'll be like the sun going down on you." Elton warned.

 _Beep!_ "Fuck!" Thankfully Delilah helped transfer the call this time by pushing her paw down on the correct button.

"Oh Freddie, it's awful! I'm watching it all unfold on the news right now!" Mary cried. "I can't believe this is happening. They can't send you back to the lab like they're saying, can they?"

"Who's saying that?" I demanded.

"Aren't you watching? There's protestors and people lined up outside of auction houses all across the civilization. Galileo Labs claimed they already placed a starting bid of $1 billion to get you back. Freddie, I'm scared!" Mary lamented.

I was living the luxurious life of a rockstar complete with pampering and extravagance so I could never complain, but I knew that we were not billionaires yet. I would gladly continue to do the millionaire waltz until the day I died, but I never imagined I'd need even more money in order to keep myself alive. Even with our combined wealth, could Brian afford to set me free? What about Roger and Deaky? Was there any way to guarantee that he could claim all three of us? Now I understood why it was usually laboratories, universities and breeding facilities who claimed magical creatures. These organizations were more likely than individuals to afford the expenditure.

"Please say something! Let me know you're alright. I don't want this to be the last time I ever speak to you." Mary cried.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, darling. If you're so worried about me, why don't you come over? We can have a drink and pretend like my world isn't going to shit. I am the great pretender after all." I laughed because it was better than crying.

"Believe me I'd love to, Freddie, but I can't." She sighed.

"I simply won't take no for an answer, my dear. Please, Mary, I need to see you before I..."No, this was just a friendly visit, not a goodbye. Everything was going to be alright. Brian and Miami are going to take care of everything. I had nothing to worry about. I just had to see Mary again in case in the unlikely event something bad happened tomorrow and I ended up in the hands of Ray Foster and company."Just come over for a few minutes. You live right next door. I don't see why you can't. I need you, Mary."

"Freddie, I'm pregnant."

What? I couldn't believe this. Why would she break the news over the phone like this? That hardly mattered anyway. I was going to be an uncle! How exciting!

"I was going to ask you and Deaky to be the Godfathers, but my husband doesn't think it's a good idea...especially not now that he knows you're magical creatures. Let's just say David isn't as open minded as me."

Fuck Mary's husband, David! What the hell did he know? If you ask me, she could do so much better! Now how to get that across to her in a tasteful manner? This was a very delicate matter. "Fuck him! You can do better." Well done, Mr. Mercury! I scolded myself. These may be the very last words you ever say to Mary, what she has to remember you by, what she'll tell her child about you (who you'll never meet). So when you're lying in pain in a lab with tubes stuck to your body and no hope in sight, you can always remember this conversation. ' _Fuck him! You can do better.'_ What a hideous thing to say at a time like this! "How could you!" I murmured to myself.

"How could I?" Mary cried. "Freddie, this has nothing to do with you!"

Shit! Somehow I made things worse. "No, I was talking to myself. I didn't mean—"

 _Beep!_ "I should go, Freddie. It sounds like you're getting another call."

"Mary, please don't go." I begged, but it was too late. The line went silent. I choked back on a sob.

"Delilah, which button transfers me to the other call again?" The cat rolled her eyes at me before pushing the button with her paw again.

"Farrokh." The familiar voice sent shivers down my spine. Things just seemed to be getting worse and worse. "What the hell do you want from me, Paul?"

"I see that  _someone_  informed the press about your band's little predicament. From what I hear people are willing to pay a pretty penny to get their hands on their own magical rockstar slaves. Do you think your curly haired badger lover can keep you all safe?"

"Didn't Roger lock you in the cupboard? I was hoping you suffocated in there. Why don't you do us all a favor and stay in that cramped space forever?" I scoffed. "For all I know you were the one who told the press about our plan to turn ourselves in and ruined our lives."

"Is it that obvious?" Paul laughed. "Now you have no choice. I can make you disappear again so you'll be safe. I'll take you back home to my tower where you bel--" I slammed the phone down hanging up on him. "Fucking fruit fly." I hissed.

 _'What are you going to do, Freddie?'_ Delilah mewled.  _'Can Brimi afford the money to save you?'_

"Possibly." I whispered. "But definitely not all three of us." My eyes darted back to the dining room table where the boys were still negotiating with Miami. Precious little Deaky was trembling in his chair, and I wanted to hug him. I could survive in a lab or in a tower and maybe even a grisly zoo if I had to, but I couldn't subject the love of my life to that. Deaky ending up in one of those horrible situations as well would be the thing that breaks me. Whatever happens to me I could leave it all to chance, but I couldn't face the heartache of harm coming to John. That left me with no other choice. I knew what I had to do.  _'Brian,'_ I called for him mentally, ' _join me upstairs so we can talk privately please.'_

I watched Brian fumble over some excuse before rising from the table. Then I rushed upstairs and waited for him to arrive. "Delilah, please stay outside, dear." I instructed as I ushered Brian into one of the bedrooms. Of course the cat ignored me and slipped inside right as I shut the door.

"What is it that you don't want the others to know?" Brian wondered. "I thought we were against band secrets."

"We are, but this isn't a band decision. It's a decision I'm making on my own, the last autonomous thing I may do in this life, but I want it to be worth something." I rambled.

"Not you too, Freddie!" Brian cried. "I thought you three bloody trusted me. I'll do everything I can to have you keep your autonomy intact after this is blown over."

"I know you'll still treat us as equals. This isn't about that. Prenter leaked to the press. Everyone knows our plan, and people are already bidding on us. Galileo Labs is willing to pay a billion to get me back and that's just the starting number. You can't afford to claim all three of us. I don't want you to even try. Just take Roger and Deaky, and see how much money that leaves you with. Hopefully it'll be just enough to get by. And I want you to tell Deaky that whatever laboratory claims me doesn't adhere to soulmate vows. You're his only option. He can't end up anywhere else. Do you understand?"

" _You_ can't end up anywhere else!" Brian exclaimed. "I don't care what it takes, I'm saving all three of you because we're brothers and we don't leave each other behind."

 _'Wait. Where will I end up?'_ Delilah inquired.  _'I'll be with you. Right, Freddie?'_

"FUCK!" I screamed unable to look at those fearful wide eyes. Telling the truth to Delilah was simply too much for me. "Just fuck everything! I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I should just take Paul up on his offer and go back to the tower."

"NO!" Brian shouted. "That is not an option, Freddie. We're going with our plan where I spend everything I possibly can to keep our family together. And if it fails, then we'll work with Miami to try and get a judge to order your freedom and assign me as your hunter escort."

We both knew the latter was impossible. Even if a judge agreed to issue me freedom, Brian would never be considered as a proper hunter escort. He'd have to prove himself in the worst possible way, something that ran counter to his soft peaceful nature, the thing we all loved most about him.

Brian knew precisely what I needed to help me feel a bit better; he gave me one of his warmest hugs. "We'll get through this, Freddie. I'm not giving up, not after everything we've been through."

' _I love you, Brimi.'_ I thought. ' _You're going to take good care of the boys for me.'_

"Don't talk like that. You'll be with us."

' _I didn't say it, I thought it.'_

"Oh you quick thinker!" Brian responded. "Tell me something else. Anything that'll take your mind off things."

"Mary's pregnant." I sighed. "And she told me in the worst way possible."

"How is that a bad thing? You should be happy for her." Brian reasoned.

"I am happy for her. It's just her dumb husband. He feels uncomfortable having magical creatures be the godfathers of his child. What an ass! Mary deserves better. In fact, I think he's  gay."

Brian just shook his head holding back a snicker at my presumptuous  accusation.  _'Whatever you say, Fred.'_

***

Deaky cried the entire ride to the auction house. I tried my best to comfort him, but nothing could assuage those gut wrenching sniffles and sobs. I questioned if Brian had spilled and John knew that I planned to sacrifice myself. At least he'd be safe this way. Brian would take good care of my boys and my cats. Oh god! I didn't want to think about them right now. I took one look at my furbabies before leaving them forever this morning and just couldn't do the deed and tell them the truth. Delilah was onto me of course, but the rest of the cats figured I'd be returning home to them.

"You know I love you, darling. I love you so, so much." I whispered to Deaky who was a whimpering mess. "Nothing will ever change that."

He murmured something inaudible in between a choked sob. Should I bother reading his mind or would that make this gloomy goodbye even more depressing? The car jolted to a stop, and looking out the window I saw that we were surrounded by protestors filing all around the auction house. Much to my surprise, there were people on our side, wearing Queen shirts with signs urging that magical creatures be let free. I spotted Phoebe amongst them. He must have gotten back early from his vacation. However, there were more protestors against us declaring that we couldn't coexist.  _'Be Subservient or to the Outskirts with Thee!'_ Several signs displayed nasty messages like that.

"It's been my honor driving you, Freddie." Terry said earnestly. "My heart goes out to you. As soon as I drop you off I'm joining the protestors. I'm not sure it'll help but I'm willing to do what I can."

"Thank you, darling. You've been a good friend to me and I'll never forget you." Deaky cringed, and I realized that my words were way too final. I turned to him before we could step out of the car. I reached over and pulled him into my arms. "I love you." I repeated. "Please don't cry, darling. Wipe those tears."

" _Love of my life..."_ I sang softly.

"Don't leave me." John whispered with the same innocence Delilah had when she asked if we'd still be together.

_"...Love of my life, can't you see?_

_Bring it back, bring it back_

_Don't take it away from me, because you don't know_

_What it means to me..."_

"He is a fucking muse!" I was interrupted by a shout from outside. "Look at that glow. I can see if from the car!"

Deaky screamed as one of the protestors threw a rock at the window making it shatter. Our security team quickly escorted us out and we ran through the swarming mass to get to the auction house. We set off the magic detectors, but it didn't matter. Everyone knew the truth already.

"Put your hands up when you walk in so they don't use force when they take you." The body guard to my right whispered.

Deaky had his eyes shut tightly, but I grasped his hand, and forced him to raise it. "We're surrendering peacefully!" I announced as we entered through the large double doors.

The room was terrifying. It was like Galileo Labs on steroids. We were encircled by cages containing all sorts of magical creatures stripped of their clothing and their dignity. Interested bidders flocked around the cages while representatives spoke of their captures like animals. "Here we have a rare pink winged moon fairy..."

"We won't be here for very long, my love." I assured Deaky who was quivering beside me. "Bri will get you out of here in no time."

"Us." He mumbled. "He'll get  _us_ out of here."

As if on cue, Brian and Roger burst through the doors also surrounded by bodyguards. Roger turned back to the roaring crowd of protestors as the doors shut. "Fucking wankers!" He shouted. Then he quickly put his hands in the air as a team of guards rushed toward us. Seconds before the doors slammed shut sealing us in our coffin, I spotted a woman in the crowd with crazed eyes clutching a piece of curly hair in her fist. I glanced up at Brian who had a small scrape on the side of his cheek and appeared completely flustered.  _'Psychopathic fan or magic hating lunatic?'_ I dared to silently inquire.We locked eyes for a brief moment acknowledging the bizarre humor in this otherwise terrifying situation. _'I'm just glad to be here in one piece. And we're all going to make it out  of here in one piece as well.'_ Brian thought.

Our hands remained in the air as the guards approached us with their machine guns ready to go. "We prefer to do this peaceful." One of the guards said despite pointing a gun at our heads. "All we need from you three is a DNA sample so you can be registered in our database of magical creatures and then you'll be escorted to your cages. Are you willing to comply? Or do we have to use force?"

"If it happened to Brimi, it should happen to us as well." I remarked, pulling a hair from my scalp and handing it over. Roger and Deaky did the same without much more prompting.

"No need for the cages." Brian spoke up. "I have three tickets right here. I'm ready to place my bid."

"The bidding process cannot begin until they're registered and assigned to a lot number in a cage...or a tank in the case of your siren. But you can pre-bid. So far the shapeshifter is going for 3 million, the siren is going for 5 million, and the muse--"

"--He's placing a bid on both the shapeshifter and the siren." I blurted securing their safety over my own.

"--Learn your place,  you damn muse! Don't interrupt a human while they're speaking!" The guard shouted sternly. "This mouthy one is going for 1.5 billion."

"W-We can't afford that!" Deaky cried. "Oh God! W-We can't..." I held him and shushed him softly, letting him cry some more into my shoulder. Why was this so difficult? I couldn't take it. "It'll be alright, my love. You're going to get out of here. Brian and Roger will take care of you."

"B-But Freddie...W-What about you?...W-Will they honor our vows? C-Can they take us together? So you don't have to be alone and we don't have to be separated."

This was exactly what I didn't want. Under no circumstance would I allow Deaky to come with me. They'd torture him in attempts to "motivate" me to participate better in their muse experiments. In my nightmares I could only imagine my poor soulmate getting murdered on a daily basis in the most excruciating ways so I was forced to revive him. It would be worse than the things they'd do to Delilah to punish me. At least Delilah was guaranteed safety because they wanted to observe my connection with her. Deaky didn't have that kind of security. They could just kill him in cold blood.

"Alright!" A woman with a clipboard emerged from a back room. "Siren Roger M. Taylor May, you've been assigned to lot 19. Now we can't enact your soulmate vows if you'd--"

"--Fuck you, bitch! Miami warned us all about your evil plan. You want Brian to go in the tank with me so he'll drown and won't be able to claim us. So I won't be falling for any of that bullshit. Just take me so Brian can buy me back."

The woman frowned. "As a hunter, do you really allow him to talk to his superiors like that?"

"You're not his superior." Brian stated coldly. "And we're not enacting our soulmate vows. Thank you for asking. When can I place my bid and get Roger far away from you and your fellow inhabitants of hell?"

The woman pointed to the machines in the back where Brian could place his pre-bids. He was hesitant to leave us, but I gave him a gentle shove in that direction. ' _Ensure their safety at all costs. Don't worry about me.'_ I thought.

' _We have a grand total of $10 million to spend. I'll try my best. Oh God! Poor Freddie! He was right all along. We don't have enough to save him. What the hell are we going to do?'_

I drowned out Brian's dismal thoughts. I already accepted my fate. There would be plenty of time to wallow in it later. The focus now was on Deaky and Roger.

"Now, Roger, I'm going to ask you to remove your clothes and get into that tank full of fresh water labeled 19. If you don't abide, we will use force." The woman commanded.

"My man will come through for me just like he always does." Roger replied as he surprisingly obeyed and shed his clothes. He held up two middle fingers in the air as he approached the tank. I sneered at the workers who collected Roger's clothes and put them in a pile of various personal items for sale. We were warned not to bring our wallets or anything valuable with us because it would all be taken. Brian was holding all of our wedding rings for us.

"I LOVE YOU BRIMI!" Roger screamed. "LONG LIVE QUEEN, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!" I couldn't help but smile as the blonde boy fearlessly jumped into the water as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"LONG LIVE QUEEN!" I yelled, fisting my hand in the air. The guard next to me shot a round in the air leading to a silence aside from the ringing in my ears. "Raise your voices again, and that'll be your face!" He threatened gesturing to the bullet hole in the ceiling.

"Please, please  carry on with your bidding!" The woman with the clipboard hollered to the purchasers.  "Sorry for the disruption, ladies and gentlemen. May I direct your attention to our latest lot 19 where we have a male siren for sal--"

"Attention auctioneers! Item 19, the male siren, has been sold for 5 million and 39 dollars to Brian May. Congratulations to all of our bidders!"

"Never mind." She huffed.

"You did it, Bri!" I exclaimed. Roger was trying to say something as well, but the glass of his tank was sound proof.

The clipboard bitch cleared her throat. "Now muse Farrokh Bulsara Deacon and shapeshifter John R. Deacon Bulsara, youhave been assigned to lots 20 and 21 respectively."

Her announcement of our names was bittersweet. Knowing I was forever bound to John at this moment was a reminder I clung to in order to stay calm. "When did we take on each other's last names?" Deaky wondered.

"This is what came back in the DNA reports generated from your hairs. Your exchange of soulmate vows linked you automatically. As soulmates you have the option to enact those vows if you wish and you'll both be kept in the same lot, but whoever purchases you may decide to only take one and not the other. That is out of our control. Do you understand?"

"J-Just keep us together for now p-please." Deaky begged. The silent pleading in his mind was even more desperate. ' _I can't live without you, Freddie. Don't let them do this. We can't be separated. Please! There must be someway we can stay together.'_

"Very well." The woman scribbled down some notes on her clipboard as Deaky panicked further. As a muse, I knew exactly what to do to soothe him.

" _You will remember_  
 _When this is blown over_  
 _And everything's all by the way_  
 _When I grow older_  
 _I will be there at your side to remind you_  
 _How I still love you..."_

"With a voice like that I could see how you're worth over a billion dollars." The cruel clipboard lady callously remarked. "I won't ask this again. Remove your clothes and proceed to lot 21."

"Freddie?" Deaky looked at me mortified. He needn't say a word; the modest blush on his cheeks spoke wonders. This was so fucked up, and I was the furthest thing from a prude! "I've gone on stage almost naked so this should be no different." I reasoned. Of course as soon as I removed my clothing, they disappeared because they were derived from my magic. This left the collectors confused and somewhat angry, but I was satisfied. At least I could still own the clothes on my back. Meanwhile John made no process undressing, so I helped him. My precious baby was in a state of shock and could barely move, so I guided him. "Don't worry, love. Your body is oh so beautiful." Of course I preferred it to be something for my eyes only. The thought of all these onlookers made my blood boil. However, I wanted to reassure Deaky who was shutting down right before my eyes. "Come on, darling, pull yourself together. It'll all be over soon. I promise."

I took a deep breath and entered the cage with Deaky at my side. Being behind bars again brought back all those torturous memories of my years in the lab, but I couldn't afford to crumble and cry. I had to stay strong for my Deaky. I cradled him against me trying to provide him comfort and warmth while also covering him so he didn't feel as humiliated.

"What do you say we change our names from Bulsara Deacon to Mercury Deacon?" I distracted him. "Wouldn't that sound better? I'm sorry you got stuck with my dull real name instead of my stage name that's full of pizzazz."

"Deacon Mercury." He murmured, wiping a stray tear. "Not Mercury Deacon."

"If you want to make it alphabetical, I suppose Bulsara Deacon isn't bad either." He didn't reply.

I looked down at John's feet. He always wore socks so I rarely got to admire my name written elegantly across his foot alongside his lovely resurrected shapeshifter mark.

"God I'm such a baby." John sighed as he clung to me. "I've been crying all day long. So pathetic! I don't want to spend our last precious moments together so miserably."

"You are not pathetic, my love." I gave him a kiss ignoring the stares we got from purchasers. "You're so brave, Deaky. Remember that darling."

"Attention auctioneers! Item 21, the male shapeshifter, has been sold for $5 million to Brian May. Congratulations to all of our bidders!"

I let out a sigh of relief I didn't realize I was holding. Whatever happened to me I could rejoice because Deaky was in good hands.

"5 million?" John gasped, "No! I wasn't supposed to be worth as much as Roger. Brian overbid. We're broke! Now there's no way we can ever afford to save—"

"—Attention auctioneers! Item 20, the male muse, has been sold for $2 billion to a representative from Lloyd's Magical Zoo Inc. Congratulations to all of our bidders!"

I expected more tears and a full blown panic attack from Deaky. Instead he just hugged me tighter. "We're going to get you out, Freddie. I promise. Just keep yourself alive until we can break you free." That was the last thing John said before the cage door opened and a guard forcefully pulled me away from my love. "I LOVE YOU!" Deaky screamed as I was dragged away from him. It was all too sudden for me to even react. I watched the world move around me as I was taken away by the overbearing grip of the guard, but there was nothing I could do about any of it.

In a backroom, I was greeted by the sick grin of Ray Foster.

"Congratulations! He's all yours." The guard announced before leaving me alone with him.

"Son of a bitch." I groaned.

"Mercury!" Ray clapped his hands together excitedly. "It's good to see your lying ass again. Although I wasn't expecting to literally see your ass." He threw an ugly grayish brown garment at me with the words Property of Lloyd's Magical Zoo written on the back in bold white letters. I begrudgingly put it on. "We're going to be spending a lot of quality time together, just you and I." 

"With no due respect darling, shouldn't you be busy ripping off artists? Preferably ones  who deserve it like Justin Bieber."

"Didn't you hear? I quit the music industry. I work full time for your mate Lloyd. I'm in charge of  disciplining our animals. Lloyd is very pleased to have you with us." Ray explained.

I rolled my eyes. "Lloyd is not my mate. He's a lying catnapper who screwed me over."

"I think it's a bigger sin to lie about being human than to lie about having polio and to borrow one of your too many cats. If there's one thing I hate more than magical creatures, it's the ones who disguise themselves as human and weasel their way into our lives. Talk back again and you'll regret it." Ray threatened as he fastened a shock collar around my throat. It was much too tight, but that was probably the intention.

"Now Lloyd gave me specific instructions just like he did with the other muse I'm in charge of. I'm to show you no mercy until you tell us where the muse civilization is located."

Suddenly vivid flashbacks returned of a younger, more familiar Lloyd arriving at the lab and Bob turning his back allowing the hunter to torture me for information I didn't even know. Lloyd wasn't just a catnapper, he was a kidnapper! He was the one who took me away from Mama and Papa all those years ago. It all came flooding back to me now in a rapid realization as my body was jolted from the intense shocks omitted from the collar. I didn't know where the muse civilization is, but even if I did I would never reveal it. Lloyd and his team of hunters would invade my former home that I could only recall in bits and pieces of faded memory. It was my fault that I was here for leaving the civilization to begin with, but I couldn't put the rest of the muses and my family at risk. I've done my sentence, but committed no crime.

***

As a muse, the most terrifying thing in the world was losing my voice. It was simply the worst fear imaginable, and an idea I could never fathom until this moment. The layers of skin around my throat were red and tender from the incessant shocks from the collar. I felt like I couldn't breathe, let alone talk or sing. I just tried my best to remain conscious as Ray continued to gleefully pushed the button.

"I can do this all day, Freddie. Where is the muse civilization?"

My answer was the same as it had been hours ago, and years ago. I didn't bloody know, and no amount of torture could change that.

"You know Lloyd says if you give him what he wants, he'll grant you visiting rights. Maybe your bandmates can come see you. If not....well then you can expect a lot more of this!" Ray increased the voltage sending me into a spasm of pain.

When the door opened, I half expected somebody, anybody to come to my aid, but I knew better. We were in the "backstage" area of Lloyd's zoo. I could scream "can anybody find me?" as loud as I could, but there was no way anyone could get past the security team and into this secret location behind one of the main showrooms. Of course it was Bob who entered. He took one look at me cowering on the floor in pain and laughed. "Any lucky, Ray? Bucky's a hard one to crack. Then again Lloyd's crazy. There might not even be a muse civilization. I'm envious if that's the case. You get to torment him for no reason."

Bob casually went to the sink to wash the blood off his hands turning the soapy water dark red. He merrily whistled to the tune of We are the Champions. That motherfucker! "N-No...time for losers." My voice was raw and barely audible, but I choked it out, spitting in Bob's direction with malice. Either my voice was too weak for him to hear or he chose to ignore it.

"So Lloyd says he's too busy blueprinting plans for his latest rollercoaster expansion to go out, but the other zookeepers and I are going to TGI Fridays. You wanna come, Ray?"

"That sounds like fun. I'm in the mood for onion rings."  _(AN: That's a Shrek reference 'cause he's played by Mike Myers)._ He pocketed the controller to my shock collar and stood up. "I locked the other dumb muse in the storage room because Lloyd said she had to be in solitary confinement until she revealed where their civilization is, and the cages are too overcrowded to make that happen. I suppose there's no harm in throwing this one in there with her."

I was too beaten down to fight back, and I knew getting away from him would be a relief. So I followed Ray without protest into a cramped room labeled Lost and Found/Storage. It resembled an untidy closet. All sorts of random objects cluttered the tiny space: a mop, a pair of sunglasses, a detached head of a bear animatronic creepier than the ones at ChuckECheese, car keys, etc. A girl sat with her back against the wall, hugging a canvas against her chest. She was very pretty despite the haggard condition she was understandably in. Being locked in here with no food or water for god knows how long left her sickly skinny with mangled black hair. She had the exact same olive brown skin tone as me. Her jaw dropped when she saw me walk through the door.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Ray asked her. When the girl didn't respond and continued to stare at me in awe, he snapped, "Fine! Go another day without food!" I flinched when he slammed the door shut with a loud rattle and locked it.

Knowing he was gone, I finally collapsed leaving my fate in the hands of this new stranger. Although strangely enough I found I could trust her. She was a fellow muse, and we appeared to come from similar backgrounds judging from our coloring. I figured out that I was Persian, but I didn't know much about my roots. Maybe this girl knew my family. Once my wounds healed and I was feeling better, I could talk to her. If only I could muster the strength to sing through these throat scars, then I could heal myself and break this damn shock collar. It would take a lot of energy, but with my magic, I'd probably be able to get us out of here. Judging by how gaunt this girl was, I would say she was in more desperate need of escape than me.

She dropped the painting she was holding revealing it as the one that got me into the mess to begin with: my gift for Brian and Roger. "F-Farrokh? Farrokh, is that you?"

I made an ugly hissing sound in an attempt to reply. I gestured to the tight chain around my throat, and then the poor darling started to sob. No! I didn't mean to make her cry. Thankfully, it didn't last very long as she was able to compose herself. "I've um never really used my magic before, but I'm gonna try. Just bare with me, alright?" She cleared her throat and began to sing an enchanting melody. Its familiarity haunted me. Where had I heard this song before? It was quite lovely and very soothing, but there was no magic behind it. Still, I listened, softly closing my eyes trying to remember the song. The origin hit me at last as soon as the muse unlocked her magic which slowly began to restore the burnt skin on my neck. She wasn't powerful enough to completely heal me. I was left with reddened marks, and a slight throbbing sensation, but it was a dull pain I could manage, and the wounds were no longer intrusive. My voice was restored! "Thank you so much, darling. You did a brilliant job! My Mama used to sing that lullaby to me. How did you know it?" I realized she was passed out as was expected from exerting so much energy. She did a fantastic job having never used magic before.

Now before I could devise an escape plan for the two of us, I had to take care of this horrid collar. "AY-OH!" I belted, unleashing my magic causing the chains to burst into splintered pieces.

"Ay-Oh!" The girl mimicked softly in her sleep. I chuckled and shushed her. "You need your rest, dear. Using magic the first time can be very overwhelming."

As she recovered, I explored the room some more in search of something that could be useful in our escape. Unfortunately, nothing appeared to be helpful. Let's see...a stack of stationery papers with Ray Foster's old logo, an umbrella, a spell book...Wait a minute! The spell book, the papers, and my painting of Brian and Roger--this girl had to access to all of those things. It led me to believe that she was the mysterious sender, and it made sense. I didn't know her, but she clearly recognized me and not just as a fan because she knew my real name. Ray, on the other hand, likely wasn't the culprit. She probably just borrowed his stationery while trapped in here. I had more questions, but I waited patiently for the girl to wake up.

I wondered how my boys were getting along without me. I wasn't sure how long I had been here. Probably a day at most. I rolled up the sleeve of the itchy garment I was given and touched my soul mark. ' _I'm okay, my love. I promise I'll find a way to get back to you soon.'_ I thought, praying by some miracle the connection would carry over to Deaky.

The girl stirred next to me. "Easy, darling. Take your time. It's alright." I encouraged as she slowly sat up. "I can't believe I finally found you! I thought I never would." She exclaimed.

"Who are you? And why did you send me such ominous messages?" I inquired.

"Y-You got my letters?" She squealed. "Oh good! I was scared they would never reach you. I'm sorry I was so cryptic. That last letter must have been really strange because I didn't get to finish it. The rubbish collector only comes around once a day it seems, and I can't wait too long in case Ray catches one of the letters on me. I would've been less vague, but I didn't know who would read them. There's a chance your fan mail gets screened. If I revealed too much information, I could expose you as a muse."

"Well, it's a little late for that." I sighed.

She cringed. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to end up here like me. My goal was to rescue you. I wanted to find you and bring you back home. I was hoping to have you back in time for Christmas. We don't even celebrate Christmas, but it would be such a surprise and the perfect gift for Mama and Papa. They miss you so much, Farrokh. There isn't a day that goes by that they don't think of you."

"You know my parents?" I gasped.

The muse giggled. "Yes. I know  _our_ parents. I guess I should've started with that. Hi I'm Kashmira Bulsara, your younger sister."

"You're mad. I don't have a..." Mama was pregnant before I ran away. We knew it was going to be a girl. Shit! She was right, and I felt horrible for disappearing before she was born. We never even met, and yet she risked everything to come save me. I didn't know what to say. What could I say? 

"I-I'm um...I'm glad we found each other." I stammered, blinking back tears full of mixed emotions. "How did you manage to track me down, darling?"

"I saw you on Top of the Pops a few years back. We're not really supposed to watch stations from outside of the civilization, but my friends taught me how to rearranged the antennas on the telly." Kashmira explained.

Just like Clare did with the seaweed antennas so she could watch Roger on their TV. Kashmira and Clare would probably get along well. They were around the same age, and they shared siblings in a rock band. John's little sister Julie would possibly befriend them as well. Granted, Deaky hadn't a clue if any of his family was even still alive. Too bad Brian didn't have a younger sister, then the four of them could form a girl band. They could call themselves King instead of Queen.

"I knew who you were of course." She continued. "Mama and Papa spoke about you a lot. And you were the reason we hid our civilization. Well, it wasn't just you. People would go missing all the time. Eventually, the magic council decided that enough was enough, so they added an additional barrier of special protective trees in front of the enchanted fence that would guarantee our safety from the hunters."

Hearing this made me proud of Kashmira for being so strong and loyal. Even though Lloyd would reach the civilization and be deterred by the trees and fence, she still didn't disclose its location. Hopefully I'd be able to get her out of here before she reached her breaking point.

"At first I didn't recognize you on Top of the Pops. I thought I was home alone because Mama and Papa would never allow me to watch it. But they came into the room, and they both became hysterical. I knew it was something much bigger than them being mad at me for breaking the rules. I'd never seen them act so crazy. Screaming, crying, laughing. 'That's our boy!' 'That's Farrokh!' 'He's alive! They didn't kill him!'"

I sniffled, letting the tears fall as I tried to imagine my parents rejoicing that I was alive. From the way Kashmira described it, it seemed like they recognized me almost immediately despite the amount of time that had passed.

"So I did some digging, trying to figure out where you were and how I could get to you. Long story short, Mama and Papa think I started university in the fall, but really I ran away and went on this wild goose chase trying to find you. Oh they're going to be so happy when I finally bring you home!" Then Kashmira's grin faded when she realized her story hadn't reached its happily ever after yet. "I may have gotten into a bit of trouble and ended up in this hell hole, but at least I found you just like I set out to do!"

"You did." I acknowledged trying my best to take all of this in."You found me, darling."

Unable to resist myself I gave her a hug. "How can I say I've missed you when I've never met you before?"

"Farrokh—"

"—It's Freddie now. I don't go by that name anymore."

"I don't know how Mama and Papa will feel about that, but I'm sure they'll just be so pleased to finally have you back. It really is a miracle!"

Seeing my parents again after all these years filled me with hope and excitement, but a pit of doubt rested in my stomach. What if Papa was still mad at me for disobeying him? What if Mama was disappointed in me for running away? It was my fault we were separated. And poor Kashmira got herself involved in this mess as well because of me. She shouldn't be here.

"You would just love our civilization. It's much more beautiful than this one. We created it specifically for muses, but all sorts of magical creatures live there with us in harmony. We're surrounded by these vast seven seas. And if you look up to the sky you can see magnificent creatures flying around like dragons and griffins and pegasi."

_In the land where horses born with eagle wings..._

All this time I thought Rhye was an imaginary land I'd travel to in my dreams at night. When I closed my eyes and pictured it however, it became too vivid to be a mere fantasy. I knew what I saw were truly glimpses of memory coming to mind. There really was a place where dragons fly like sparrows thru' the air.

"You'll take me to the seven seas of Rhye?" I requested.

"It's not called Rhye, but I'll take you all around. Give you a personal tour that I'm sure you'll love." Kashmira said.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's break free and get to Rhye! Brian will probably need to bring his red special if we're traveling through the outskirts. Although I'm sure Roger can scream loud enough to scare off any threats we may come across. And of course Deaky needn't worry because he's better at hide and seek than Delilah. All he has to do is make himself invisible and he'll be safe." I rambled.

"I don't think bringing your friends with us is going to work." Kashmira stated.

"Don't be daft, darling. Of course they're coming with us. I would never abandon them like that. Either we all go or none of us go."

The door rattled as someone from the outside unlocked it. "Please, please don't be Ray." Kashmira murmured with fear in her eyes. I assured her he wouldn't be back this soon. Still, I stood in front of my sister acting as a shield for whatever sort of monster awaited us on the other side.

I was met with a surprised stare from the face of an unfamiliar man wheeling an empty garbage cart. His drab uniform was similar to the ones Kashmira and I wore only his featured a name tag and only said Lloyd's Magical Zoo not Property of. Hank was his name according to the label, and his scent and buff build told me he was a hunter.

"Freddie Mercury? What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at a Queen concert or something? I thought this bitch was lying when she said she knew you. I just humored her by sending the fan mail she wrote for you."

"I'm afraid we're not touring anymore, darling, and this bitch as you like to call her happens to be my sister. So you better shut the fuck up unless you have something nice to say. Her name is Kashmira, not this bitch or dumb muse. Got it?"

"Wait." Hank scratched his head. "You're also a dumb muse?" He inhaled my scent. "And a shapeshifter apparently?"

Kashmira gave me a funny look, but then she noted the tattoo on my arm. "Your soulmate's a shapeshifter." She concluded with a soft smile.

"Yeah." Hank said. "He's totally gay for his bassist. Which is cool. I stan soulmate bands. I just don't appreciate magical creature bands. I thought Brian May was a hunter. What's his deal? Why'd he let a muse and a shapeshifter into his soulmate band?"

"It's not  _his_  band."

"Sorry, my bad. Why did he agree to join  _your_ soulmate band? Did he know you and Deacon are magical creatures or did you manage to trick him somehow?"

"For fuck's sake it's not my band either! There is no leader of the group. We're all four equal parts." I exclaimed.

"Well my favorite song is I'm in Love with my Car." Hank proclaimed. "That is brilliant! Hats off to the genius who wrote it. It speaks to me on such a deep, intellectual level. How'd you get your voice to sound so different and gravelly on that track? It almost sounds like a completely different singer. Is that like a muse thing? Can you disguise your voice?"

Normally I'd find this sort of thing amusing, but now it just made me feel empty inside. I missed Roger and his antics. I imagined the four of us back together as we should be. Brian, Deaky and I would laugh at this moron's comments while Roger would praise him as a superior intellectual who understood his artistic genius.

"I don't think I've heard that song yet." Kashmira frowned. "I've only listened to your main hits like Killer Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody. You have such a beautiful voice, Farrokh. I'm sure you can make anything sound good, even something as...inventive as I'm in Love with my Car."

"No darling, not even I can save that train wreck of a song or should I say car crash of a song. And please call me Freddie, not Farrokh."

"Anyway," Hank cleared his throat, "most of us aren't world renowned rockstars and we're just living from paycheck to paycheck. So if you can excuse me I've gotta collect the trash. Unless you have any more favors to ask of me, I have a job to do." 

Favors? How could this imbecile help us in any capacity? I held that thought when I noted the large size of the empty garbage cart he was wheeling. Two people could easily fit in there. Unfortunately, Hank was about to load it  with rubbish taking up valuable space. "Wait!" I shouted.

The disgruntled hunter paused. "You wanna give me an autograph or something?" 

"Yes." I offered. "And in return, you could hide us in your cart and wheel us out of here." I used the trick Delilah taught me to make my eyes wide and innocent like a kitten and begged. "Please, darling. We really need your help." 

"I don't know. Sending out letters is one thing, but smuggling two muses out of here could get me in big, big trouble. Lloyd's a harsh enough boss as it is. I don't wanna get him angry."

"But you'll get that autograph you want." I bargained. 

"How about a signed guitar from Brian May in addition to the autograph?" Hank negotiated. 

Brian would have no problem with that. "Yes, yes, whatever you want. Now will you do it?"

"Sure, why the hell not? Get in! I'll cover you up with a blanket so no one will spot you." He caved. 

"Thank you so much, Hank!" Kashmira gushed. 

"Thank me too darling." I whispered as I climbed into the cart. She squeezed in next to me. "We're going home!" She exclaimed. "Oh thank you, Far--Freddie! Thank you, Freddie!" 

"Just be quiet, alright!" Hank instructed as he placed the blanket over our heads, concealing us in complete darkness. Maybe trusting this hunter wasn't the best idea. But it was too late to turn back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes! What a crazy rollercoaster ride of a chapter! And it ends on a cliffhanger cause I'm evil. *Evil laugh* In the upcoming chapters, we will see the boys reacting to this mess and dealing with the aftermath of Freddie being taken, and Freddie finally reuniting with Bomi and Jer and seeing the real "Rhye" again. Stay tuned!


	29. Sleeping on the Sidewalk Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys miss Freddie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise we'll get through the angst soon. A happy ending is coming. We just need to make it through these next few rough chapters. Be prepared! 
> 
>  
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Someone dies in this chapter (Don't worry, no one major). Expect violence, trauma, and tears!

_"If I lost everything tomorrow, I'd claw my way back to the top somehow."_

_-_ Freddie Mercury   
  
  


_John's POV_

" _Love of my life, don't leave me.._." I hummed softly to myself, tucking my knees up against my chest and rocking back and forth. " _You've stolen my love, and now desert me/Love of my life, can't you see?/Bring him back, bring him back/Don't take him away from me/Because you don't know/What he means to me..."_

A guard unlocked my cage. I wasn't hesitant to rise when he leveled his gun to my head. "This way!" He ordered, pushing me into a backroom. Other magical creatures were bowing before their new masters, some unlucky ones were presented with shock collars. I heard the announcement loud and clear I reminded myself. I wasn't going to an abuser like Tim. Brian had claimed me. I was safe...but Freddie wasn't.

"This one's yours." The guard shoved me forward. I tripped and fell flat on my face unable to see anything but a pair of clogs from my vantage point on the floor.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on him again, you bastard!" Brian shouted at the guard, pulling me up to my feet. "Are you okay, John? Here, let's get you some clothes. It's alright. You're safe now." His tone completely changed when he was with me.

"T-Thanks, Brimi." I stammered getting dressed as quickly as I could so I no longer had to be humiliated.

"Are you okay, John?" Brian asked again. I shook my head. "They took Freddie. I-I didn't even get a chance to say a proper goodbye. Who knows what they'll do to him, and all I can think about is how lost I feel without him."

"We'll get him back. I refuse to rest until we do, but in the meantime Freddie would want me to make sure you're taken care of."

"I-I'm fine." I lied. "Where's Roger?"

Brian's face sank. "We um have a bit of a problem...but Miami is taking care of it. I'm just hoping he gets here in time to resolve it. But you don't have to worry, Deaky. Just relax and know that you're safe. That's what Freddie would want."

"What sort of problem?" I demanded.

"I don't want you to have to worry about...Shit! Um, John, whatever you do, don't turn around." Brian urged. "You're still safe! I promise I won't let you get hurt."

I expected to see a spider or some sort of creepy crawlie, but that was too naive of me. So much for being safe. There right behind me striding forward with nothing but malice in his eyes was none other than my former tormentor, Tim. "Hey there, freak! Long time no see! You're not so tough without your boyfriend here to defend you, huh?" My throat went dry. I couldn't look into those devilish eyes. What a nightmare!

"Fuck off, Staffell!" Brian surprised me by giving the other hunter a bit of a shove. "You have no right to come anywhere near John. He doesn't belong to you. If you don't stop harassing him this instant, I'll file a restraining order."

"Sounds terrifying." Tim snickered. "Maybe you'll let me babysit your new little pet sometime. Wouldn't that be fun, Johnny boy? Just you and I like the good ol' days in my garage."

Just like I had when I saw the garage door left open, I fled the first chance I got. I ran as fast as I could and didn't dare look back. I had to get away from him.

"WE'VE GOT A RUNNER!" I heard one of the guards holler, but all I could focus on was Tim chasing after me. "You can't run from me, freak! You'll never escape!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! The earth shattering booms made me stop dead in my tracks. Tim collapsed on top of me, and I realized he had been shot in the back several times. Oh God! I tried to push his dying body off of me, but it was too heavy.

The guards rushed to intervene. "You idiot! You were supposed to shoot the fucking shapeshifter, not the hunter!"

"Oh no! I'm gonna lose my job! I just wanted to shoot him in the leg so he'd stop running. I didn't want to kill anybody 'specially not a bloody hunter!"

"Then why'd you shoot three fucking times?"

"I don't know. I panicked."

"Where's that damn muse? Can't he heal gunshots or something?"

"We sold him already. He's be sent to that new zoo. This hunter's as good as dead."

The guards removed Tim's body off of me leaving his oozing blood all over me as I sobbed. "P-Please don't hurt me...It was an accident."

Brian boldly pushed past the guards and collected me up off the floor. He scooped me up into his arms, shielding me from the guards. I shut my eyes, praying I'd wake up from this horrible dream soon.

***

"So, Officer Brett will be held accountable for this horrible accident." The chief addressed Brian but completely ignored me. "I hope you give your shapeshifter a suitable punishment. The murder could have been avoided if it hadn't tried to run away."

"I-I didn't kill him." I choked. "It wasn't my fault I swear."

"Shh. Shh. It's alright, John. I know. I know. It was an accident. We all saw what happened." Brian consoled. Then he glared at the chief and stated coldly "John is a  _he,_  not an  _it_."

The chief shook his head on his way out. "And you call yourself a hunter." He scoffed. "Have a good night."

"Bri, I'm so sorry." I wailed. "He's right. If I hadn't run, then Tim would still be alive."

"Don't get me wrong. I abhor violence. I think it's inhumane and pure evil. But in this case..." He trailed off. "Don't you feel bad, Deaky."

"I-I don't feel remorse either." I admitted. How could I when it seemed like Tim's sole existence was to abuse me? It was actually a relief knowing he was all dead and gone and would never hurt me or anyone else again. "I just...I think I'm in shock. All these awful things keep happening."

Brian sighed, clearly trying to keep his composure. "Well for what it's worth, I promise I'll always be here if you need me. I've seen you at your very worst before. I never want you to hit rock bottom again, but I can help lift you back up if you do."

"You're a good friend, Bri. I love you. I really do." I scolded myself for ever believing that my big brother would act out on any sort of hunter instincts (whatever the hell that even meant) once he claimed me. That was bullshit. All I saw was now Brimi who was a sweet brilliant man who would never ever betray me. The world didn't deserve Brian May.

"I love you too, John. Thanks for being so brave. We'll get through this and somehow things will get better."

I gave Brian a hug which he returned but somewhat reluctantly. He was probably stunned that I was the one who initiated the embrace and not the other way around. I was rarely affectionate with anyone besides Freddie. Brian's hunter scent used to make me cringe, but now it was calming and I didn't mind it at all.

"But I still stand by Back Chat." I declared as we parted making Brian laugh.

I was relieved when two familiar faces showed up in the waiting room. It was Miami, and Roger followed him looking more angry than afraid or hurt. That was a good sign.

Brian eagerly ran to meet his soulmate at the door only to have Roger start yelling at him. "What the hell, Brian! I was left in that tank for hours! And you're blaming Miami because he got stuck in traffic. That's bullshit!" Brian responded by swiftly leaning down and kissing Roger so hard that the siren fell backward.  "Fine!" Roger said breathlessly "I forgive you." "Awww." I couldn't help but coo.

Miami cleared his throat. "No one is blaming anyone, Roger. Brian didn't have enough money to complete the transaction. He was short of $39 which I loaned him. I had to get here to deliver the money before anyone else could place another bid and void the purchase, but the protestors were blocking traffic. Thankfully everything worked out."

"If everything worked out, then why isn't Freddie here?" I sighed.

"I'm working to get Freddie freed through a court order, but a judge will have to assign him a hunter escort." The lawyer explained. "Brian, you can apply to be his escort, but you'll have to prove yourself as a worthy hunter, and there is a chance Freddie will be assigned to someone else. I'll do the best I can, but in the end the judge makes the final decision."

"Thank you so much, Jim." Brian used Miami's real name to show his gratitude. "I just spent our entire fortune and came out $39 in debt, so you'll have to work pro bono. I promise we'll find a way to pay you back."

"Don't worry about it. Somethings are more important than money. You boys are like sons to me. I want to see Freddie back home safe and sound just as badly as you do." He assured us.

"Did we really lose everything?" Roger asked.

Putting up the for sale sign in front of Garden Lodge before leaving everything behind seemed like years ago even though it was only this morning. "We're homeless." I murmured. "Back to sleeping on the sidewalk."

"I didn't realize we'd be paying over 10 million dollars." Brian said. "But that was all the money we had including the price of our homes."

"And we couldn't even afford to save Freddie." Roger groaned.

"Why did you bid 5 million on me, Bri? I'm not worth that." I remarked.

"You're right, Deaky. You're not worth that. You're worth so much more. You're priceless. Putting a number on people is wrong." Brian ranted. "But I got into a bidding war with Tim and I couldn't let him win and take you. I doubt he even had that kind of money anyway but there was no way I'd take that risk. I had to ensure your safety even if it cost us everything."

"Y-You saved my life again." My eyes watered with tears.

"You'd do the same for me." Brian figured.

"In a heartbeat." I agreed.

I may not have any blood relatives left, but my little family of misfits was all I needed. Soon we'd all be together again.

"So where are we going to live?" Roger inquired.

"I talked to my parents." Brian announced. "They're not too keen on taking in pets, but—"

"—What the fuck is wrong with them?" Roger cried. "I mean I know they're more in line with hunter culture than you, but I thought they loved me. I'm their son-in-law, and they know Deaky too!"

"Well it's understandable." Brian justified. My jaw dropped. After everything, how could he just sit back and allow his parents to refer to me and Roger as pets.

"Why are you so surprised?" Brian wondered. "10 cats are a lot for anyone let alone with my mother's allergy. Plus there's Rex and Little Dipper."

Wait... Roger blinked trying to take in what he just said. It hit me first, and I started to laugh. Laughing felt good after all this tragedy. "Ooooh!" Roger realized at last. "You meant the actual pets!"

"Of course. What else would I mean by pets?" Brian elevated us so highly in his mind that the thought never crossed him. Bless him!

"So your parents will be alright hosting us?" Roger confirmed.

"They will indeed, but we have to find new temporary homes for our animal friends."

"Not Delilah! Freddie will have our heads if she doesn't stay with us!" I protested.

"Perhaps I can convince Mom to let us have one cat." Brian proposed. "Otherwise maybe Mary can take some of them."

"Phoebe would love to care for the cats I'm sure." I suggested.

"I also have a cat allergy." Miami remarked. "But I always wanted a dog when I was a young lad. Can I watch Rex for you?"

Somehow I couldn't imagine Miami playing fetch with that rambunctious golden retriever. Then again if he could handle Freddie and Roger at their worst behavior, then a dog with pent up energy would be a synch for him.

"Well it seems like the animals are in good hands. But what about us?" Roger pressed. "We have no money and no Freddie, and I'm sure they're gonna start banning our music now that the truth is out about us."

"We're going to get Freddie back." Brian declared. "Miami, what steps do I need to take to become a hunter escort? I'll do whatever it takes."

"You'll have to prove your dominance over a magical creature in front of a panel. I'd suggest you'd create a fake stunt so no one actually gets hurt or humiliated."

I trusted Brian and I knew it would all be staged, but I didn't want to be placed in another uncomfortable situation. I was unstable enough already without being traumatized any further.

"Don't look at me!" Roger cried. "We all know I'm a horrible actor."

"And I could never ever bring myself to hurt you even if I'm playing a role and it's all pretend." Brian sighed. "But we have to do this for Freddie. We have no other choice. I'll rough you up a bit, make it look convincing enough, but it'll all be for show. We can even use a safe word if it gets to be too much for you."

"I'm tougher than I look, Bri. I can take it. After all, whatever the hell they're doing to Freddie is much worse and it's actually real. No safe words or anything like that."

I should have been more panicked knowing that Freddie was in real danger as Roger put it, but an odd calming sensation rushed over me. There was a soft tingling on my foot where Freddie's real name was forever etched. "He's okay." I realized. I wasn't sure if Freddie was trying to send me a reassuring message or if I could somehow get a sense of his wellbeing. Either way I felt slightly better now.

***

"I don't understand." Ruth rambled. "You three all seemed so normal. How could you ever be magical creatures? You're nothing like  _them_."

"Them?" Roger echoed. "Just how many other magical creatures have you met, Mrs. May?"

"Oh, Rog, stop that! You can still call me Mom. Nothing's changed really. I'm just trying to wrap my head around all this."

"Brian," Harold addressed his son, "did you know your own soulmate was a-a...a  _water muse_?"

"I'm a siren." Roger clarified. "And Brian's known since day 1. He loves me regardless."

"He's still our Roger. Like you said, Mom, nothing's really changed." Brian said.

"Hurry inside, boys! Don't let the neighbors see you!" Ruth hissed as we filed out of the car. The Mays would be accommodating, but their all hunter neighborhood was far from ideal.

Delilah mewled crankily in my arms as I carried her into our new home. "What's the matter, love? Are you hungry?"

I tried to ignore the overwhelming scent of hunter that coated everything in the house. Focusing on Brian's particular scent made the home feel less intimidating. Delilah jumped out of my arms and ran off to explore.

"Roger, you can stay in Brian's old bedroom with him. John, you can stay in the guest room." Harold directed.

"Thank you, sir." I gasped. I in no way expected to be given my own room in a hunter's dwelling. In fact I don't think I've ever had my own room before. When I was little, my family and I would camp out in caves. From there, I was kept in crowded quarters in the magic mines. Of course I slept on the floor in Tim's garage. Finally, Brian's flat was only one bedroom. That brought me to present day where I always shared my room (and my bed) voluntarily even though there was plenty of space in Garden Lodge. Was this a luxury or a reminder of everything I've lost?

There wasn't much unpacking to do because everything I owned was gone aside from some clothes and my bass. The room was spacious with lavish furnishing and a queen bed. I couldn't complain. Still, my heart ached when I thought of the queen who should be residing in that bed with me. Delilah shoved her little body through a crack in the door. She glanced around the room as if she were looking for something and let out a disgruntled humph when she didn't find it.

"I know." I sighed reaching down to scratch her behind the ears. "I miss him too."

I couldn't stand to be alone any longer, so I wandered down the hall. A sign hung from Brian's door with an image of a rocket ship reading Brian's Room. The handmade style resembled something a teenage boy would craft and I knew that the room had likely remained untouched as soon as I entered. There was a poster of Jimi Hendrix on the wall above a shelf filled with years worth of trophies for winning the civilization's annual youth science fair. I also spotted an old newspaper clipping.  _"Hunter boy participated in science fair and wins!"_ It must have been an anomaly.

"Oh my God! Look at you here! What a bean! Your hair isn't even curly!" Roger squealed as he flipped through an old yearbook. Brian looked over with a blush. "Oh Rog, put that away please. You don't want to see me as an awkward insecure teen. I tried to straighten my hair to fit in back then. What was I thinking?"

"Yeah, straight isn't really your style." Roger winked.

Brian laughed. "Come here, you..."

That was my cue to leave. The cute couple needed their privacy. I didn't want to be a burden. I meandered back to my bedroom, once again all alone.

Delilah mewled sadly when she saw me instead of Freddie. I stared at my own face in the mirror. "I wish you were here with me." I murmured. Using my shapeshifting skills I transformed myself into my other half just so I could see the muse's face again. Freddie's reflection in the mirror just made me cry because I knew he wasn't really here. I turned back into myself and collapsed onto my bed in a fit of sobs.

There was a soft knock on the door. It wasn't him and I wouldn't accept anyone else. "Go away!"

Roger ignored me and opened the door. "Deaks, we're worried about you. Do you want us to sleep in here with you? Will that make you feel any better?" He gently rubbed my back and I found it soothing. "The bed in here is bigger anyway. Bri and I were having trouble fitting on the one in his room. It's not made for two people let alone if one of them's a giant like Brian."

"I heard that!" Brian exclaimed from across the hall making Roger snicker.

I wiped my eyes. "You two seemed so happy and sweet on your own. I don't want to be a bother. You probably want privacy."

"The walls are thin. Hearing you cry really takes us out of the mood." Roger remarked.

Brian entered the room now in his pajamas and ready for bed. "We just want you to feel better, John. Freddie wouldn't stand for this and it's heart breaking to watch our best friend suffer. Whatever we can do to help."

Roger filled his pillow case with water and set it down next to mine. "You can sleep in the middle so you won't feel lonely or scared."

I didn't protest. I allowed the duo to cuddle me. "Goodnight Freddie. We love you." Roger said.

I shut my eyes trying to hold back the tears. Not wanting to concern my friends any further, I pretended to be asleep.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Roger whispered.

"I don't know," Brian exhaled, "but Miami says he can schedule us a panel demonstration by Monday and we can have him back by Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest."

"I'm worried like hell about poor Fred, but I was talking about Deaky." Roger clarified. "He's clearly not well and I don't think he will be until Freddie comes back."

"I promised Freddie I'd look after him." Brian secured the blanket over me so I was warm. "I'm doing the best I can, but I wish it was easier. I have to cater to my own needs as well. Pretending to hurt you to bring you to submission is not going to sit well with me."

"I know none of it's real." Roger replied. "It's the only chance we have to get Freddie back."

Their late night conversation was cut short by a brisk banging on the front door. It was around 2 in the morning. No sane person would be visiting at this hour. The knocking didn't cease. Before any of us could get out of bed to answer it, we heard the door open on its own. Oh wait, I forgot the Mays lived here too, so probably one of them answered it.

"Hello officers," Harold greeted, "can I help you?"

"We have a warrant to search your home for an escaped muse."

I sat up. "Escaped?" I exclaimed. Did that mean Freddie got out alive? Was he alright? Could this be good news?

"I hope Freddie managed to kick Lloyd in the nuts before he bid that bastard sayonara!" Roger proclaimed.

Brian put a finger to his lips signaling us to stay quiet. I didn't dare make a sound when the officers bombarded our room, checking under the bed for Freddie. Roger just rolled his eyes. "He's not with us, and if he were he'd hide some place less obvious."

"If I had a magical creature that disrespectful, I'd put a muzzle on it." The officer addressed Brian. "And why aren't your pets wearing collars? What kind of hunter are you? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"The muse you're looking for clearly isn't here, so why don't you leave?" Brian shot back icily.

"Well if the muse does show up, give us a call. Remember if you don't turn him in, you'll end up in jail. That means your pets will go back to being unclaimed and be sent to the auction house."

I whimpered, but Roger reassured me we'd be fine by squeezing my hand. When the officers finally left, I let out a lengthy sigh of relief.

"So Freddie escaped." Brian remarked. "He didn't even need our help after all."

"I pray he's okay." I sighed.

"He'll find his way back to us somehow." Roger affirmed. "Now go back to sleep, Deaky. You need to take better care of yourself for when Freddie does return."

I wasn't sleeping to begin with but I kept that quiet. "I'll try." I murmured.

It seemed like I had just set my head back against my pillow and closed my eyes when someone else arrived at the door. This person rang the doorbell unlike the callous knocking officers. And once again, we didn't have to worry about answering the door because Ruth did it for us. "My son and his friends don't know where the muse is and we're not interested in any charity at this late hour." 

"Please I need to speak to Brian. It's important. I have a message from Freddie." A man with a deep voice replied. 

At the mention of Freddie's name, all three of us dove toward the front door. Ruth stepped aside and allowed us to talk to this mysterious hunter in the living room. "I'll make you boys some tea." 

"Queen...or 3/4th of Queen at least." Clearly not the brightest, he paused and added on his fingers to make sure he got the fraction correctly. "It's so cool to meet you guys in addition to Freddie. I'm a fan...or I was a fan until I found out that you're magical creatures. But I won't hold it too much against you."

"Where's Freddie?" I asked boldly. I surprised myself at my own audacity of speaking directly to a hunter without any fears. 

"Hang on. I agreed I was pass this message to you in return for a signed guitar from Brian May. You can't get nothing for free you know. Freddie said you'd agree to that condition. Is your frontman a liar? Well, he lied about being human, so there's that."

"Give us Freddie's message first so we know you're not bluffing." Roger said. "How do we know you won't just take Brimi's guitar and run off?" 

"It's fine." Brian said going to fetch one of his spare guitars. We were considering selling our instruments (all except the originally red special) to get ourselves out debt, but we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. Freddie's message was worth more than money anyway if it wasn't a sick prank. Although this hunter didn't seem clever enough to scheme us. 

"Make it out to Hank please. Thanks." 

Brian signed the guitar right in front of him, but didn't release it. "It's here and it's yours. Give us the message first." 

"Very well." Hank dropped a letter on the table. 

_Don't worry, my darlings. I'm okay. I'm alright. I ain't gonna face no defeat. I'm going somewhere safe for muses. I can't tell you where. It's too dangerous. Guards are out looking for me. Brian could end up in jail if he's caught helping me and that means Deaky and Roger will be sent back to the auction house and all this would be for nothing. Please know that I'm safe and I'm not alone. I'm sending you all my love from Mars to Mercury. One day we'll be reunited. Until then please take good care of each other and know that I'll never stop missing you. You three are my family and always will be._

_Love you always,_

_FM_

"That's him alright." I accepted. Freddie was alive and well. He missed us and loved us. That was all that mattered.

"So what now?" Roger asked. 

"I'll call Miami and tell him to cancel the panel meeting. No point in getting on the hunter escort list if Freddie's AWOL." Brian said.

"I'm gonna take the guitar now if you don't mind." Hank announced. 

I reached down, tugging at my sock so I could touch the soulmark on my foot.  _'I still love you, Freddie.'_ I thought, praying he could hear me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a hard chapter to get through because it's so dang depressing. I literally made myself cry. Poor Deaks. What is wrong with me?
> 
> Originally I drafted a scene where Brian goes through with fake torturing Roger in front of the panel and Deaky is forced to watch only to find out later that Freddie escaped so there was no point. But it was too dark in my opinion. If there's interest I could revisit it in a non cannon one-shot, but I had trouble writing it because it was so messed up.
> 
> I don't know why this story has gotten so angsty. I guess I'm just relieving some of my stress from things IRL. I promise it won't stay this dark for much longer!!!
> 
> For the record I have nothing against Tim Staffell. I'm sure he's a decent dude. I honestly don't know why I'm making him out to be the devil in this fic. He deserves better. But I guess that's what you get for abandoning Brian and Roger for a band called Humpy Bong. Jk
> 
> Anyway thanks so much for reading. I'm surprised so many of you are still invested in this story. It means a lot to me❤️
> 
> Stay tuned for Freddie's family reunion!


	30. Living on My Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie tries to adjust to his new life as Farrokh Bulsara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is happier! Hip hip hooray!!!! Thanks everyone for continuing to read and send me encouraging comments. Thank you ALL so much! I love you😍
> 
> Things are better again for me! So I just wanna say that if you really want to achieve something or have a dream, then don't let anyone tell you no and prove them wrong if they ever do. Keep working hard and eventually you'll hear a yes. You didn't come here for my little rants but I hope you stayed for the life advice. Anyway here's what you really came here for--the next chapter:

_Freddie's POV_

"Is that a bloody unicorn?"

Kash was unfazed by the creature that trotted by us, but I was mesmerized. It was a beautiful black horse with a dark flowing mane and a magnificentgolden horn sprouting atop its head.

"Do they not have unicorns in your civilization?" I shook my head.

Probably accustomed to the sight of a unicorn, Kash impatiently beckoned me forward as I stopped to observe the unique sight. This enchanted forest was nothing like the dark and dreary outskirts. A mystical light illuminated through the thickets casting a sparkle across the green pathways scattered with various friendly little critters like pixies and elves. There were no demons here.

"Brian would love it here." I sighed looking out to the shimmering silver lake that seemed to be made out of crystal. The water was perfectly still and calm. Nature was welcoming us with its serene vibes. Despite all the turmoil I went through, I felt at peace now. All I wanted was to share this wondrous feeling and experience with the people I loved.

"He can't come here, Freddie. The forest would reject a hunter or any creature who poses harm or evil. The enchantment was established because of you and all the people who went missing over the years."

"But Brimi's different. I think the magic would recognize that. If it's supposedly all knowing it would look into his heart to find the truth." I reasoned. "I know it was too dangerous to go back for my family but--"

"--We're your  _real_  family, Farrokh." Kash used my real name again making me cringe. "This is where you belong. No one will ever hurt you here and you'll finally be free."

"I don't want my freedom!" I cried. "There's no reason for living with a broken heart." It was quite the dramatic declaration, and I felt strange raising my voice in such a tranquil and sacred place, but this was a tricky situation. I was torn between two very different worlds. One was cold and brutal, and the other was cordial and full of whimsy. The only problem was I'd be miserable in this new world even if it was superior to my previously horrid reality. I'd face that nightmarish life every day with a grin so long as I could stay with my soulmate and brothers.

Despite my better judgement on what choice I should make, I apologized for my outburst and reluctantly followed Kash on our trek back home. At least I'd be seeing Mama and Papa again. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would they be happy to see me? Surprised? Angry? How would I even react after seeing them all these years later?

The fence was still there, but it was less guarded as the addition of the enchanted forrest surrounding our civilization acted as a true and secure barrier. Beyond the fence was a familiar quaint village. Fond childhood memories returned of a life full of innocence riding down these streets on my bicycle waving at neighbors, trying to zoom on my bike as fast as the griffins soaring through the clear blue sky. So this was Rhye, my dream land. It was the real life, not just fantasy. My memories were simply caught in a landslide, but now they were coming back more vividly than ever before. All those wild tales I'd entertain Delilah with on cold nights were not a figment of my imagination after all. She'd be pleased to hear that. Oh I missed my sweet sassy kitty. She'd be so delighted to be here with me.

"Welcome home, Farrokh!" Kash exclaimed.

"Darling, please stop calling me that! My name is Freddie."

"Sorry. Forced habit." She shrugged it off. "I'm just so excited! I can't wait to see the look on their faces. They're not expecting me home from university, let alone you to be here with me. Maybe I'll walk in first and then you can come in after me and surprise them." Kash was so eager, and I should be as well, but I was feeling more anxious than thrilled.

My feet gravitated toward what I recognized as my old house. The modest but comfortable home appeared practically unchanged from when I was a boy. There was still that rocking chair on the porch, swinging in the breeze. When I was really young, Mama would take me out here and sit me on her lap and rock me to sleep with a lullaby at night. In fact, it was the same lullaby Kash sang to me to heal those blasted burns on my throat. So Mama must have sang it to Kash as well for her to know it.

What if I wasn't the proper son they envisioned? Papa wanted me to go to boarding school so I could grow into an educated and sophisticated young man. I didn't have that experience. I was far removed from our culture. I barely knew anything about being a muse beyond what I taught myself about my powers and discovered from years of torture in a lab. Until I met Kash, I hadn't a clue I was even Zoroastrian. My soulmate was another man and he wasn't Parsi nor was he a muse. Would Mama and Papa still approve of me? I strayed so far from everything they strived for me to become. They wanted their son back, but was I still that same carefree boy on his bicycle? No, I wasn't. That was Farrokh Bulsara. I was Freddie Mercury. We were two different people.

A calming tingling sensation across my soulmark made me stop dead in my tracks. I rolled up my sleeve, smiling to myself at the name of my beloved. Deaky still loved me. He would always love me. Even if we were literal worlds apart, I could rely on that. I touched the mark. ' _Thank you, darling. I needed that reminder. I still love you too and don't you ever forget it. Please continue to be brave for me.'_ I thought. These feelings were no coincidence as far as I was concerned. John could hear me.

"Ready Freddie?" Kash giggled.

I thought of Roger saying that to me before we'd walk out in front of a stadium packed with thousands of people. I craved that adrenaline now. I needed that rush that would invigorate me through my performance. Only this wasn't a show and I wasn't facing an audience. It was merely my parents.

"This is going to be great!" Kash proclaimed grinning from ear to ear.

I was surprised when she was able to walk right in. The door wasn't even locked. Was this civilization so safe that locks weren't even necessary? Still smiling and giggling like a silly school girl, Kash gestured for me to follow her inside. "Mama! Papa! I'm home!" She called.

"Kashie, is that you?" A familiar voice responded. I immediately recognized it as my Mama. She was here! My real Mama and not a memory. I couldn't believe it! "Yes, it's me and I have someone very special with me!" Kash elbowed me, probably wanting me to say something to get Mama's attention. For once in my life I was speechless.

"Kashmira, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Her smile faded when we were greeted with a scold from Papa. "We called the university trying to get a hold of you. You haven't shown up to a single class. What have you been doing all these months? Do you have any idea how worried we were?  You nearly gave your mother and I sheer heart attacks. I hope you have a good explanation for why you disappeared and left us with no way to contact you. You scared the life out of us! We thought for sure that you had ended up like...."

And then there was my Papa standing in front of me, just as I remembered him. His hair had greyed slightly, but other than that he appeared the same. He stared at me dumbfounded going paler than a ghost. "Is this a good enough explanation, Papa?" Kash quipped.

"I'm seeing things." He whispered in disbelief.

"Bomi? Kash? Is everything alri--" Mama shrieked when she saw me and dropped the teacup she was holding. The decorative porcelain cracked and splintered into tiny pieces, and the tea stained the floor.

"Well I suppose the tea is spilled, darlings." I forced myself to speak, my voice quivering with raw emotions and unshed tears. "Hello, Papa. Hello, Mama. I've missed you."

Without saying a word, they both hugged me, breaking down into tears, and I soon lost it as well. 

"Oh, please don't cry! Now I'm gonna cry. And this was supposed to be a happy occasion, not a need for tissues." Kash sniffled.

"They're good tears." I assured her, composing myself. Mama and Papa refused to let me go as if I would disappear if they released me. I cleared my throat. "Um, please don't be mad at Kash for lying to you and not going to university."

"No, no, dear, no one's mad." Mama said.

"This is a happy occasion." Papa agreed. "Look at you, Farrokh! My boy! Well, not a boy anymore it seems. You've returned to us!"

"I can't believe it's really you, beta." Mama put a hand to my cheek lovingly. "I thought I would never see you again."

"I know." I said. "I put you through so much grief. Papa, if I had just listened to you and hadn't run away, then I could have spared you the agony of losing a son. I'm so sorry."

"No!" Papa exclaimed. "Farrokh, listen to me. what happened to you all those years ago was not your fault. We never blamed you. All we did was pray that this glorious day would come and you'd find your way back hometo us."

"Goodness! Have you spent all those years alone burdening yourself with those thoughts?" Mama cried. "Oh my poor baby! You were wrongfully taken from us and it was most certainly not your fault. It was a horrible tragedy that resulted from your gracious heart. You were only trying to help that hunter, sweetheart. You didn't know any better. If anything we should be the sorry ones. We weren't there to protect you. You grew up without us, without knowing how very loved you are."

"It was our fault for not teaching you better." Papa reasoned. "We should have warned you more about the dangers of the outskirts and the other civilization. I was counting on the boarding school to impose that lesson, but it should have been emphasized much earlier so this could have been prevented."

"But I still knew it was wrong of me." I admitted.

"You were a child, Farrokh!" Papa cried. "It was our responsibility to take care of you and we failed."

"Please forgive us." Mama begged.

It appeared that the tables had turned. My parents were asking for my forgiveness, but they did nothing wrong. "I still love you." I told them. "You did everything right. All we can do now is move on and leave it in the lap of the gods."

"We'll always love you." Papa declared and Mama nodded still not letting me out of her embrace. 

So all of my concerns were unwarranted. Here I was met with unconditional love, just like I was back home with my other family.

"I can't believe you broke Grandmama's teacup." Kash broke up whatever tension was still lingering in the room. "That's been in our family for generations."

"Unlike your brother, that is replaceable." Papa dismissed but Mama frowned when she looked at mess on the floor. Obviously my return was the most important thing right now, but the teacup clearly held some significance.

I knew exactly what would lighten the mood...

 _"Mama! The tea was in the cup, but now you've gone and spilled it all away!"_ With the altered lyrics, I harnessed my magic to unite the shattered pieces of the heirloom and restore it good as new with the spilled tea removed from the floor and now back inside the cup where it belonged.

I was met with stunned silence. This was simple magic. The basic trick didn't even leave me that winded. Weren't all muses capable of this sort of thing? Why was it so shocking? A conversation with Paul came to mind. He said I was one of the most powerful muses he had come across in a long time.

"I thought you knew. We're not really supposed to use our magic unless it's absolutely necessary and we need to heal someone." Kash explained.

Out of instinct, I wanted to swallow a suppressant to disguise the trail and scent of my magic. That shouldn't be necessary, not in Rhye. I was supposed to live to my fullest potential here.

"I don't understand. You said I'd be safe here. No magic detectors or hunters or labs. I'm a free man. Why can't I use my magic?"

Mama cringed at how nonchalantly I said the words hunters and labs. "You've been through so much, beta. I can't even imagine. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to comfort you. You must've been so scared living on your own for so long."

"I wasn't alone. I was at first, but thankfully I've pushed most of those unbearable memories out of my mind. As far as I'm concerned I've always had at least one friend with me. They've always been there for me right till the end." ' _And I'm not there for them right now.'_ Like those traumatizing first few years in the lab before I met Delilah, I pushed that thought far away and out of my head.

"Why can't we use magic?" I inquired. "No one is persecuting us from what I can tell."

"It's not illegal. It's just...well it's frowned upon." Mama explained.

I was thrilled to finally be back with Mama and Papa, but I didn't come all this way only to be told no. "Why?" I demanded. "As long as we're not causing any harm with our magic, I don't understand what the problem is."

"Farrokh, were you ever forced to use magic against your will?" Papa asked gently.

"Too many times for me to keep track of, but I don't see what that has anything to do with it." I replied.

"Magic is not viewed positively. We see it as a force that outsiders use to take advantage of us as you've experienced firsthand. Does that help explain it?"

"No. That makes even less sense. There's a huge difference between being sleep deprived and forced to sing until my throat bleeds and simply fixing a broken teacup of my own free will. It's not the magic that's wrong, it's the people who abuse us. Torture and manipulation should be looked down upon, not magic."

Judging by their horrified expressions, I would say my parents were too startled by my admission to see my point. "Oh why did this have to happen to you! My baby boy!" Mama wept.

"Um why don't we sit down." Papa instructed. "Kashie, can you finish preparing the tea Jer was making?"

*******

Papa worked as a clerk at a law firm. The job description sounded dry and dull, but I listened with intrigue. It seemed like these ordinary occupations were common for muses. There was no shame in working in an office. All positions serve purposes and hold some importance for the community, but I expected this new world to offer opportunities more exciting than desk jobs.

The good news for me was I no longer had to worry about my glow. It wouldn't be the same without my band, but I fancied the idea of a solo career.Complete creative control was something foreign but exciting. Maybe I'd dedicate my first album to my cats.

"So Kash says you're removed from popular culture of the other civilization. Who are the big names in music around here? I mean look at what displaced muses achieved. Elvis, John Lennon and Frank Sinatra are the only confirmed muses, but if speculations are correct then the list would include Robert Plant and Aretha Franklin to name a few. I can only imagine the sorts of musicians you'd get here where muses are completely free." Of course we were just talking about muses, but  _all_ magic creatures were free here. Elton confirmed he was wizard so he'd be among the greats and of course the wonderful David Bowie would be included as well. It was a well known secret that best musicians were magical creatures in hiding. Arguably the greatest guitarist of all time Jimi Hendrix was also revealed as a wizard when he died. "The talent pool must be phenomenal here! It'd be an honor just to be a part of it."

"A part of what?" Papa asked.

"You know, this civilization's music industry." I clarified.

Papa frowned and Mama scratched her head in confusion. Kash offered me a weak but nonetheless reassuring smile. "Freddie, I was trying to explain this to you on our way over here." She said. "Muse and magical culture...well, it's different than the customs you've come across in the other civilization."

"What she's trying to say is that there is no medium to pursue music professionally. It's not an option we cater to in our civilization, and we have good reason not to." Papa said firmly. "I thought you would know this after everything you've gone through."

"What are you talking about? How could a civilization made for muses--creatures put on this earth to sing--ban music? That's fucking insane!" I shouted.

"Farrokh! Please don't raise your voice like that and don't use such coarse language!" Papa reprimanded.

"Who told you we were put on this earth to sing? Is that the lies you were fed?" Mama wondered. 

"Lies? No! I was blessed with a voice that I want to use to make an audience happy. I was made to be an entertainer. There is no other life for me. This is the same kind of BS Roger was fed from his fish family, and he was right to rebel. He'd be a horrible dentist. He was made for rock and roll just like me. Is that why all these famous muses ended up in my civilization? I thought they were displaced or kidnapped like me, but they may have just run away because they refused to live in a world without music."

"Music isn't banned. We just don't appreciate what it entails. You said yourself, Farrokh, you were sleep deprived and forced to sing until your throat was bleeding. Throughout history muses were enslaved and forced to put on shows against their will. We created this civilization so we didn't have to be subjected to that torture and humiliation anymore. Your water muse friend's family likely holds a similar mentality as they should. It 's even more dangerous for our cousins of the sea to sing. It's for our own protection and preservation of our dignity." Papa explained.

"I wasn't forced to sing...okay I was, but that was in a lab and at the mercy of a demon, not for Queen. The band was something I  _wanted._  I sought it out. It was my life long dream and still is. My boys would never subject me to that kind of torment. We just want to make music and have a good time."

"So those videos Kashie found of you performing. You chose to do that? You weren't coerced?" Mama inquired skeptically.

"Of course not! I wrote most of our bloody hits for crying out loud! Queen is my baby and I share it with the three most amazing people in the world. None of it is forced or disingenuous." I shouted.

"I don't believe that." Papa said. "They must have brainwashed you."

I rolled my eyes. "Papa, you're being ridiculous. I wasn't brainwashed. This is what I wanted, it's what I am. I know you want Farrokh Bulsara back, but I'm Freddie Mercury. And you can't change that."

"Why would anyone of their own free will humiliate himself by prancing around in front of a full audience wearing almost no clothing and singing a song about Fat Bottomed Girls? Farrokh, they made you do it to strip you of your dignity and paint you as a clown. That's what they do to muses. It's why we've cut ourselves off from them."

"That's rock and roll, darling, and it's what keeps me alive. Say what you want about it, but those sold out crowds will disagree with you." I argued.

"Well when the hunters would parade you around on these tours, did they at least honor your soulmate vows?" Mama asked.

I recoiled. "We're not a bloody circus! It wasn't like that! Hunters didn't control us."

"Please," Mama said, "I need to know for my own sanity. When you weren't forced to perform and they kept you in captivity awaiting the next show, were you allowed to be with your shapeshifter spouse? Tell me you weren't alone and they stayed true to your soulmate vows. Knowing that will at least help me sleep at night."

I was going to defend my music career some more but I was stunned by what Mama's question meant. "Y-You know about John?" Was this civilization unsympathetic toward same sex couples? Would my parents care that Deaky wasn't a muse who shared our cultural background?

"Your scent gave it away. It's clear you're bonded with a shapeshifter." Mama said."It's a wonderful thing finding your soulmate. Perhaps the only good thing to come out of this unspeakable tragedy. Knowing you had him and weren't all alone out there makes me feel a bit better. Did they honor your vows? Were you kept together?"

"John was always at my side. He's the bassist in our band. You're not really understanding that I was free when we were together. It was the best time of my life, nowhere close to the gruesome captivity I faced before. That was torture whereas this was living life how it was meant to be lived. I spent my days making music and performing with the people I love. It couldn't have gotten any better...But those days are all gone now, and now I'm here."

"I'm sorry, Farrokh. Being separated from your soulmate must be very difficult." Papa sighed. "Does John know you're safe?"

I nodded. Even if Hank didn't deliver the message I left behind, I had a feeling that Deaky could sense my well-being with the communications through our soulmarks. Speaking of which. I rolled up my sleeve and put my fingers to his name. ' _I'm still safe, love, and I hope you are too. You're never far from my mind, darling.'_

"John Richard Deacon." Papa read the name. "It sounds like a very traditional English name."

"It is." I acknowledged tensely. "I know we're very different, but he's the love of my life and nothing you can say will change that."

"Farrokh, I have no problem with your soulmate. You can't choose these things. And you two are not different at all. You both share a beating heart and that's all that matters. However, my concern is your safety. You see—"

"—We use protection, Papa. You don't have to worry."

Kash coughed on her tea. My parents appeared mortified by my outburst.

"I was going to say I don't want you returning to the outskirts or the other civilization to reunite with John." Papa clarified.

"Well I have to go back eventually. I don't feel like a whole person unless I'm with my bandmates. I can't abandon them like this. They're all I have and I love them more than anything else in this world."

"What about us?" Kash cried. "We're your family!"

"Yes and they're my family too! I can't live without them!" I proclaimed.

"Farrokh, please, try to see this from our perspective. After all these years of mourning we finally have you back. We cannot lose you again." Papa begged.

"Can't you see I'd be miserable here? I'm not meant for a desk job. I'm an entertainer!"

"How can you be so certain when you've known nothing else?" Mama reasoned. "Papa can arrange for you to intern at the law firm. Maybe you'll find that you enjoy it. You don't know unless you experience it."

"That's a great idea, Jer. I'll make some phone calls and see what I can do. I'm sure you'll be able to start right away."

I was about to protest, but then Papa looked at me proudly and boasted. "You can borrow one of my suit and ties."

"Oh you'll look so handsome!" Mama remarked.

"But it is a professional environment, so I'd recommend you tie your hair back or better yet cut it." Papa suggested.

Perhaps he was right. My new life required a new look. A makeover would no doubt make me feel at least a little bit better.

Normally I'd ask Delilah for advice before drastically changing my look or attire. She had a great sense of fashion. Now I had to rely on my own instincts.

This was my first time seeing my reflection since I was taken by Ray. I had lost a significant amount of weight. Cutting my hair short did make me appear less disheveled. Borrowing Papa's razor kit brought back memories of the first gift Paul ever gave me.

_"So what do you think?" Paul asked as I explored my new tower home. It was everything I could wish for. I had plenty of space to walk around. There was a window alongside a balcony with a perfect view of the sky. And best of all I had a bed—a real bed! It was fluffy and warm and absolutely perfect for sleeping. I never imagined I could reach this level of maximum comfort when I slept on my tear stained mat on a cold cage floor. Only walls surrounded me rather than steel metal bars._

_"Oh Paul, darling, it's—"_

_'Smaller than I imagined.' Delilah hissed. I shushed her. "It's perfect. I can't thank you enough."_

_"I also have a little homecoming present for you." Paul announced._

_'Is it fish?' Delilah mewled licking her lips. 'I hope it's fish.'_

_Paul ignored her and spoke to me. "You're a growing man, Farrokh, and the scientists back at the lab weren't taking into account the changes your body is going through."_

_I shuddered sensing where this conversation was leading. "With all due respect, I've been through enough torture. I don't want to have the awkward sex talk with you. There's no need to use the p word."_

_"Prick?" Paul blurted._

_"No_ _,_ _puberty."_

_'I thought the p word was Paul Prenter.' Delilah remarked._

_"That's two words dear." I replied._

_"I just wanted to give you this." Paul presented me with a razor kit. "You're gonna start growing facial hair if you haven't already. So you'll need to start shaving regularly soon."_

_'Why would you shave your whiskers?' Delilah wondered. 'Even our new captor has a furry nose. I think you should grow a furry nose too Freddie. You'd look good.'_

_"That cat is insufferable!" Paul groaned._

_'The feeling is mutual.' Delilah responded._

_"What does she want?"_

_"She wants me to grow a mustache like yours." I translated._

_"I would agree with that idea, but it's never wise to take fashion advice from a bloody cat."_

"It's about time I did." I declared, shaving my face but left the space beneath my nose intact. "I hope you like my mustache, Delilah 'cause I'm growing it for you, darling."

As Mama prepared dinner, I resettled in my old bedroom. Going from a king sized bed back to a twin was an adjustment, but I preferred it this way if I'd be sleeping alone at night. I would already feel lonely enough; I didn't need the additional empty bed space to remind me that Deaky wasn't here.

Suddenly, I felt another tingle from my soulmark, and I grinned. God knows I missed my love. I shut my eyes trying to figure out what Deaky was saying to me. After a while, I realized he was singing to me. I couldn't tell which song, but I knew it was some sort of melody being sent across our bond. I sang back allowing myself to glow so my voice could truly shine and provide him with all my love and warmth.

 _"..._   _I've been with you such a long time_  
 _You're my sunshine and I want you to know_  
 _That my feelings are true_  
 _I really love you_  
 _Oh, you're my best friend_  
 _Ooh, you make me live_  
 _Ooh, I've been wandering 'round_  
 _But I still come back to you_  
 _In rain or shine_  
 _You've stood by me boy_  
 _I'm happy at..._

My voice cracked on that last lyric. I couldn't bring myself to sing happy at home. Unlike Roger who thought the line was disgustingly corny, I refused to sing it because I wasn't happy at home. Not anymore.

"Sorry, love. I can't be happy at home without you."

John felt the same. I couldn't hear his sweet voice say it directly, but his feelings translated over. He missed me just as much as I missed him. This form of communication was better than nothing.

"I love you, darling." He loved me too. I sighed and let go of my arm when the tingling died down.

Trying to take my mind off things, I fiddled with the radio by my bedside. I prayed my family was bluffing and I'd hear music, but instead each station only featured talk shows, news programs, or audio stories. I fumbled with the antennas until I got in a fuzzy station from the other civilization. I could make out the sound of the song Bad by Michael Jackson over the static.

" _And that was of course the king of pop himself, MJ. Now that the surviving members of the Beatles have outed themselves as magical creatures, Michael Jackson has claimed them. He's allowing them to live freely but owns all rights to their music now._

_It's crazy how all the big names in music are revealing themselves as magical creatures. With Queen getting exposed and John Lennon's shooter going on trial soon, we are seeing a movement to normalize and free magical creatures. Elton John is now a confirmed wizard and was claimed by his life long friend and business partner Bernie Taupin. Axl Rose from Guns and Roses was revealed as a muse. He's going to have hearing to possibly receive his freedom and a hunter escort. Mick Jagger is a basilisk. I suppose that explains his iconic tongue. Even Madonna showed off her pink wings as she is in fact a fae. The fate of many of these well known stars remains unknown at the moment._

_It seems like one of the last humans left is Stevie Wonder who ironically sings like a muse. Wonder however is facing backlash for his recent comments condemning the treatment of muses and refusing to visit a miracle muse to get his eye sight back. The singer has declared himself an ally in the fight for magical rights even though he may lose fans over it. He believes it's the right thing to do._

_Meanwhile, Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, is—if I may steal a line from recently exposed werewolf Bon Jovi—wanted dead or alive. Mercury's fans may protest, but at the end of the day the muse still belongs to Lloyd the hunter of Lloyd's Magical Zoo Incorporated._

_Which is a great transition to give a shoutout to our sponsor: Lloyd's Magical Zoo! See real magical creatures up close and personal. Fun for the whole family. You can get in for free if you turn in Freddie Mercury to a local auction house or a representative from the zoo. Let me tell you that's a good deal because ticket sales are very pricey. But they have great homemade signature cotton candy that you can only get from vendors inside the facility. It's a treat you don't want to miss!_

_Anyway, Mercury's former bandmates have refused to talk to the press. Inside sources have told us that the three are currently living with Brian May's parents. May is going back to school to receive a PhD in astrophysics now that hunters are allowed to participate in such programs. The guitarist is also advocating to end the ban on magical creatures in schools and work places_ _supposedly_ _so Roger Taylor can study dentistry and John Deacon can get a job as an electrician._

_Enough talking now let's get back to the music! We're no longer allowed to play The Rolling Stones so here's Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 instead..."_

*Knock**Knock* "Farrokh, sweetheart, it's time for supper." Mama called.

"I'm not hungry, Mama." Honestly, after hearing all that I had no appetite.

"Come on, beta. You need to eat something. I made lentils. Why don't you have some while they're hot? Join us in the dining room please."

"Very well." I obliged, not wanting to disappoint her.

***

Freddie Mercury sells out stadiums. Farrokh Bulsara interns at a civil litigation law firm specializing in real estate transactions. This new life was not at all what I was expecting, but Papa was proud of me for accepting the position. Besides, if what they said on the radio was true, then the boys were also going back to dull non rockstar lives, so I ought to do the same.

I was met by a woman with short blonde angular shaped hair. "Hello. Are you the long lost muse boy?" She asked briskly.

"Um yes that's me. I'm Fre--Farrokh. I was told I'd be starting here today." I shook her hand.

"You're late." She frowned. "You were supposed to arrive 5 minutes ago."

"5 minutes late is early for my standards, darling." I replied.

"Don't let this happen again or you will have to answer to me. By the way my name is Karen, and I'm the legal practice manager."

"Wait. Your name is Karen and you're the manager? So if things go awry or your coupons expire do you ask to speak to yourself?"

Karen scowled as I snickered. "I haven't a clue why that's funny. I make sure to only use coupons without expiration dates." She guided me over to the office's front desk where a girl was on the phone. "You'll be working alongside our receptionist, Julie. She'll show you the ropes. If she gives you any trouble ask to speak to me. And Julie, if he gives you any trouble, ask to speak to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take the kids."

"What if I'm having trouble with you, dear? Can I ask to speak to  _your_ manager?" Unfortunately, Karen had literally levitated out the door before she could overhear my witty comment. Well that made it clear she was a magical creature. Quite frankly, I didn't want to know what she was. It wasn't fair that Karen could use her teleportation powers and expired coupons while I wasn't even allowed to sing.

"So you made it back from the outskirts and the other civilization alive?" The receptionist, Julie, hung up the phone and glanced up at me with greenish grey eyes. She tugged at the hair band in her floofy reddish brown hair, and my eyes caught the symbol on the wrist. If the scent wasn't revealing enough, I now knew this girl was a shapeshifter.

"Julie." I repeated the name reaching an epiphany. "Julie Deacon?"

"You know me?"

"Yes. I mean no, not you. I know John." I blurted.

Her eyes lit up and she gasped, but then her small smile faded into a frown. "I'm sorry. I think you're mistaken. Most people are when they say they've seen John or my father. They've been gone for so long. It's unlikely they're ever coming back."

"Your father?" I echoed. Deaky didn't say anything about his father going missing. Maybe he didn't know.

"He...went out to search for John and um never came back. I-I um really don't feel comfortable talking about this." She abruptly changed the subject. "Here, let me show you our filing system. You can be a big help and file all these papers and forms for me. That way I won't miss any important phone calls."

Let it be known that Freddie Mercury captivates thousands of people with his impromptu vocal exercises while Farrokh Bulsara files and shreds paperwork. I've been through hell and back several times so I wouldn't call this the worst morning of my life, but it was definitely the most mundane and slowest moving. Julie busied herself with phone calls, so I couldn't get a word in about Deaky. Also I feared that if I interrupted her, she may call Karen on me and that was not something I wanted.

At noon, I breaked for lunch eating at my desk the lamb with naan bread that Mama had packed me. I found a note cut in the shape of a heart in the brown paper sack.

_Beta,_

_Good luck on your first day! We are so very proud of you and cry endless tears of joy now that you're finally back home with us._

_Love you always,_

_Mama_

I was a grown man! Why was I getting emotional over a fucking love note packed in my lunch like I was in kindergarten? I had to pull myself together. Even Julie who was still on the phone while eating her bagged tuna sandwich glanced over in my direction curiously. I blinked the tears out of my eyes and pretended like I wasn't touched by Mama's gesture and nothing was out of the ordinary. No time for that shit.

As I continued to eat, I overheard Julie's conversation, and it became clear it was not work related. I ought to call Karen on her. No just kidding. I would never do that.

"...Look he said he knows John and I believe him, alright?" She spoke into the phone in a lowered whisper. "The scent he's merged with is definitely a shapeshifter and it's so familiar. What if his soulmate is--Yes, I do know better than to give my hopes up! But this is different, Mom. It's not like all the other times when we've been mistaken and let down. I think John really is alive! Maybe Farrokh knows Dad too!...What do you mean don't count on it? Please, Mom, for once have hope!...Okay, I'll speak to you later. Love you. Goodbye."

Julie got back on the phone again as I approached her. I impatiently took the phone out of her hands. "She'll call you back." I told whoever it was only to realize there was no one on the other line this time.

"Alright you caught me. I've been faking most of the phone calls all day to avoid speaking to you," she admitted, "but that really was my mom on the phone before. I'm sorry. We just can't go through that again. You have no idea how heartbreaking it is to meet someone who claims they've met or seen John only to be let down when we discover the truth. I can't handle that anymore and neither can Mom. So please just--"

I rolled up my sleeve revealing the name John Richard Deacon. Julie turned as pale as the sheets of paper on her desk, but then she squealed so loud I was scared the windows would shatter. The other employees gave us funny looks, but that did not deter Julie. She joyously jumped in the air and pulled me into a hug. "I knew it!" She proclaimed. "I knew he was out there somewhere! I'm so excited! Does he know we've been looking for him all this time?"

I wasn't sure how to break the news to Julie that Deaky believed his family was all dead and gone. Living in the outskirts was a struggle for survival. I was so grateful that Julie and her mother made it here alive. Hopefully, they'd find Deaky's father and would all be united soon. All this time Deaky thought he was alone in this world, but he was wrong. He still had his family just like I did.

"I can't wait to see him. Do you know where he is?" Julie pressed.

"He's in the other civilization." I stated.

"Oh." The disappointment in her face was palpable. "I knew it was too good to be true."

"He's alive." I reminded her. "And he's safe. Trust me he's in good hands."

"Good hands?" Julie scoffed. "I've heard the horror stories about what goes on in the other civilization. It's why I spent my childhood in hiding so I didn't have to be subjected to what those barbaric hunters would do to us. Don't you feel guilty for leaving your own soulmate behind while you got out?"

"I-I...It wasn't like that! I didn't have a choice. And I mean what I said. John's in good hands. He's being taken care of by our two most trusted friends in the world who are brothers to us. They wouldn't let anything ever happen to him."

"And there's no way they could make it here?" Julie asked.

I shook my head. "Crossing the outskirts to get here is just too dangerous." And of course as Kashmira suggested, there was a chance that once they arrived, Brian would be blocked out by the enchantment overlooking the trees. The four of us needed to be together so this civilization wasn't the place for us if it rejected Brimi. Until I found a safe alternative to reunite us, I had no choice but to reside here temporarily.

Julie sighed. "So you really trust the guys he's with. They won't let the hunters hurt him?"

I decided it was best not to let her know that one of them was a hunter. "I would trust them with my own life if I had to. John is fine." I assured her.

"So...if you two are soulmates and evidently married, does that make you like my brother?"

"I suppose it does." I realized. I'd imagine Deaky would want our families to be close. In another world, we'd throw a giant festive unionizing wedding with all of our friends and families combining both Zoroastrian and Christian traditions. "We're family, darling."

"You should meet Mom. She may not believe that you're John's soulmate at first like I was skeptical, but you'll have to forgive her. We've been let down too many times. Just show her your mark and she'll welcome you in with open arms. Would you like to come over for dinner maybe tomorrow or in a few days to give Mom more notice to prepare a meal. What would you like? I see your eating lamb. Do you like lamb? Mom can make lamb chops with garlic mashed potatoes."

"Whatever she makes will be fine, dear. I'm not too picky. Tell your mother not to worry, but I'll accept your invitation if it's not too much of a bother. I can tell you all about what Deaky's been up to all these years. He misses you both dearly and his father as well. I hope you can all reunite one day."

"God knows. That'll be the day." Julie agreed.

***

"I can't believe that my boy is alive and well!" Mrs. Deacon proclaimed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I never ever thought I'd hear that news and have it be proven true." She stared down at my soulmark in disbelief. She reached down her fingers trailing above my skin. "May I?" It was an odd request, but I nodded and let her proceed to touch the tattoo.

"Hi John." Mrs. Deacon whispered. "Can you hear me, love? It's Mum. I'm here! I've never forgotten you, baby. I love you so much!"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that the connection wouldn't work like that. Julie unfortunately lacked that tact. "Doesn't that thing only work if you're his actual soulmate?"

Crestfallen Mrs. Deacon immediately let go of my arm. "Of course. How silly of me." She choked on a fake laugh hiding her sobs. "Why don't we start eating? The food is ready."

As she disappeared in the kitchen and Julie went to the dining room, I subtly brushed my own fingers across the mark. Deaky and I were unable to have real conversation or even hear each other, but we could get a sense of one another. We shared wordless expressions of love and assured each other we were alright. I sang to him every night, and I could tell the moment he fell asleep. ' _Darling, I've met your family. Your mother and sister are here with me. They miss you and they love you.'_ Deaky would probably only receive a warm reminder that his other half was somewhere out in the world and trying to reach him. Of course, I sent all my feelings of love across the bond because that seemed to be the only thing that would specifically translate.

"How's the lamb? Is it too dry?" Mrs. Deacon asked.

"No, it's wonderful. Everything is delightful. Thank you for having me."

"Of course, and thank you sweetheart for being there for John when I couldn't. It was very brave of you to ensure Brian claimed him first over you. A selfish man would have saved himself instead of his soulmate." She replied.

"No, Deaky had to be protected at all costs. I made sure of that. I didn't care what happened to me." I reiterated.

"And thank God he ended up with your human friend instead of a horrible hunter."

I took some creative liberties when retelling the story. Julie and Mrs. Deacon has gone through enough already. I wanted them to believe that John and I faced no threats or danger so they needn't worry. Until they met Brian in person and saw with their own eyes that he was different, it wouldn't be wise to let them know John was in the custody of a hunter.

"Do you think there's any chance of them making it here safely? If not with Brian and Roger, maybe John can come on his own?" Julie wondered.

"I wouldn't want him trekking through the outskirts on his own. You both know how dangerous it is. What if he's taken by a demon and....No." I shuddered refusing to even think about something so dreadful. "It's best he stays in the other civilization where he's safe."

"And you?" Julie pondered. "Is it best that you stay here where  _you're_  safe?"

"Yes. That is best for me as well." I agreed. It was true, but that didn't mean I wouldn't go against my own best interests to reunite with my boys. I only needed to find the proper opportunity to get myself back safely.

"I don't understand." Julie continued. "Why would you abandon John like that? Don't you love him?"

"Julie!" Mrs. Deacon scolded. "Freddie did no such thing. He was ripped from John's side against his will! He had good reason to leave."

"No, darling, you're right. I did abandon him and I'm trying to forgive myself for it. I don't see any way I could've done things differently to keep us safe, but it still hurts...I miss him every day more and more."

"I think it's about time for some dessert!" Mrs. Deacon said abruptly rising from the table. "What do you say? Don't move. I'll come serve you some sorbet. Jules, I know you'll take strawberry. What about you, Freddie? Strawberry or vanilla bean?"

"That's alright, dear. I'm too full. And I promised my family I'd be home before dark, so I should get going soon."

"So soon?" Mrs. Deacon exclaimed. "Will you visit us more often? I want to have you around. It's so wonderful that you made it back home and you're here now."

"Mom, stop! He's not John!" Julie cried. "John's not coming back...just like Dad."

"I should go." I decided breaking a long awkward moment of silence. "Thank you again for having me. I had a lovely time."

"I'm going to bed." Julie murmured heading upstairs to her room even though it was only half past 7 in the evening. "Goodnight, Freddie. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"I'm so sorry." I sighed as Julie disappeared to her room. "I didn't mean to bring about all these emotions."

"Don't be ridiculous." Mrs. Deacon said. "I'm glad you came and I want you to come again. Don't worry about Julie. She throws these little moods sometimes. It's not easy for her...It's not easy for either of us."

"I can only imagine, but from what I've seen of Julie, you've done a terrific job raising her all on your own. She's clever and very responsible. I don't know how that office would ever stay organized without her. I left a suggestion in the suggestion box for her to move up in the ranks and take over Karen's job." I rambled in an attempt to make her feel better.

"There's something you should know." Mrs. Deacon said. "Now don't take this the wrong way. I'm a very modest woman." Then she lifted her skirt slightly so I could see her knees. The left one was marked with a shapeshifter symbol, but there was no accompanying soulmark.

"I don't understand. Do you not have a soulmate?" How could she not have a soulmate? Everyone aside from demons has a soulmate.

"Arthur was my soulmate." Mrs. Deacon explained. "The mark disappeared the day he died, and part of me died with him on that night. Julie doesn't know. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that her father was killed by demon while out searching for John. She thinks he's still out there and just unable to reach us. For the longest time, I feared John suffered the same fate as much as I wanted to believe that he'd somehow find his way to the magic civilization where he'd be safe with us. I prayed each and every night...And then out of the blue, you show up..." She looked at my mark again before bursting into tears.

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry." I consoled.

"Bless you, honey." Mrs. Deacon threw her arms around me. "You took care of my baby...Right till the end you ensured his safety. Arthur would be so proud of you."

"I just wish I could be there for him now." I murmured. "B-But he knows how much I love him and hopefully that'll be enough."

As I spoke, my soulmark tingled. I put my hand to it. I couldn't comprehend much of what John was telling me, but he missed me. He wanted me back. I calmed him with another reminder of what he meant to me. Tonight I'd sing him to sleep again. Sending a wordless melody across our bond was the most I could do at the moment, and it killed me.

***

The house was quiet. I confirmed again that Mama and Papa were sleeping before tiptoeing to the television in the living room. Any radio stations I'd get in were too fuzzy to enjoy properly. I adjusted the antennas on the television set before turning it on to a low volume. I flipped through the limited channels I got from the other civilization stopping on an entertainment news program. It was pathetic that I had to stoop so low to gather information on what was going on back home. All of it was probably lies anyway. Still, I listened.

_"...And the trial for John Lennon's shooter will be held next month. In other news, the ban on some of the biggest names in music is presenting a problem for the upcoming planned charity concert to raise money for starving children in Africa. Since it's for a good cause, the president of the civilization announced that magical creatures will be allowed to perform and will be given a full pardon_ _for their performance_ _if they choose to do so. Many fans believe this is a trap to catch magical creatures still in hiding and redistribute the claimed magical creatures back to the auction house to bring money back into the economy. However, the attorney general declared that if magical creatures can come together for something beneficial to the community like this without being told to do so, they can prove that they're able to coexist with us, and he'll personally void all laws declaring them unequal. So far Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Ziggy Stardust, Paul McCartney, and Madonna have all confirmed that they will be participating in the upcoming Live Aid, and...Oh! This just in! We now cut live to exclusive footage of an interview with Queen's Brian May..."_

I gasped as the fuzzy image on the television screen shifted to Brian seated on the grassy ground alongside Deaky and Roger. There was a chair and two throw pillows behind him. I grinned to myself when I realized the Brian was making a statement by sitting on the ground in between the magical creatures instead of having them kneel on the pillows while he sat on the chair. Yes, Deaky was indeed in good hands.

 _"Of course we support the cause._ _"_ Brian spoke. " _No one should ever go to bed hungry, especially not children. Anything to make the world a better place and help others in need is welcomed. We'll donate if we're able to, but we don't have much money left I'm afraid. Unfortunately, we're in no condition to perform. We're out of practice, and Roger and I would feel strange covering vocals for Freddie. It just doesn't seem right. I do hope that everything goes according to plan and people finally wake up and realize that magical creatures are our equals and these laws are draconian."_

 _"Do you have any idea where Freddie is?"_ The reporter asked.  _"Lloyd has issued reward money for anyone who can find him."_

 _"Why the fuck would we tell you even if we did know where he was?"_ Roger spoke up.

_"Tell your siren not to speak without permission and that the network doesn't allow us to swear on live television. And you should really have collars on both of your pets."_

_"I would never do that. They're not animals. Roger doesn't take orders from you, me, or anyone else_ _,_ _and he doesn't need anyone's permission to speak."_

"You tell that bitch, Brimi!" I applauded, but I quickly covered my mouth when I realized that I was supposed to be sleeping.

I turned to see my family watching me. Looks like I was busted. I turned off the television. "Sorry. I'll go to bed now."

"Farrokh, do you want to participate in that charity concert?" Papa asked.

 _'Yes.'_ "No. What would ever give you a ridiculous idea like that? I'm a proud muse. I would never humiliate myself like that. I can achieve more dignified things like shredding papers and...Oh Papa, I'm sorry. I know muses were forced to perform to be made to feel powerless, but entertaining has the exact opposite effect on me. It makes me feel alive and so very powerful. When I'm up on stage, nothing can stop me and I can show the world that I have a right to be here."

"Then go show the world what muses are capable of." He said.

"Yes of course. I'll go to bed and pretend this conversation never happened. Show the world that muses aren't put on this earth for other people's entertainment."

"No, Farrokh. I mean you should go join your band and participate in this concert." Papa clarified. I thought for sure I was dreaming.

"You should do your part for those starving children and show that we can coexist. Put an end to these divides and separation of families." He said and Mama nodded.

"If I go, there's a chance I'll never come back." I reminded them.

"Freddie, you need to be at Live Aid. You'll regret it if you don't." Kash said. "You can use magic suppressants so you can sneak past the checkpoints. And I've seen what you can do with your magic. You'll have no problem protecting yourself in the outskirts. You should leave now while it's dark out."

"You're right, darling." I concluded. "This could be my only chance to make a stand and prove that we can all live together in peace and harmony and when we work together we can achieve great things to help those in need. It's like you always taught me, Papa, good thoughts, good words, good deeds." Papa hugged me and the action alone spokes wonders to how much he loved me.

"Good luck, Freddie!" Kash said, giving me a tear filled goodbye hug. "We'll be watching the whole thing and cheering you on!"

Last was Mama. "Love you, beta."

"I love you too Mama. In fact, I'll blow you a kiss when I'm on stage."

I took one look back at my family before securing my magic suppressants and disappearing into the night. I could only pray that I was making the right choice.

***

It took me two whole days to get through the outskirts thankfully unscathed. I was hungry and exhausted by the time I managed to secure myself to the bottom of a hunter's jeep to sneak past the checkpoint. Traveling through an all hunter neighborhood to reach Brian's parents' house filled me with paranoia. Even with the magic suppressants, I felt unsafe like at any moment a hunter would pop out and take me away. Finally, I reached the May residence. It was now broad daylight, so anyone could see me, but I didn't have the energy to wait any longer. I knocked on the door. If it was Mr. and Mrs. May who answered, they'd have to deal with the wrath of their son if they dared to send me away.

Fortunately, I was greeted by the familiar sunny face of Roger Taylor. He squinted at me, frowning slightly. "Can I help you?"

"Really darling? I've been gone a little over three weeks and you've already forgotten me. I thought I made more of an impact than that." I stepped past Roger's confused face and showed myself inside, shutting the door behind us.

"FREDDIE!" Deaky came running down the stairs. He shoved past Roger to get to me and showered me in kisses each one more intense than the last like we were making up for lost time. We wet each others' face with our tears as we kissed feverishly. Yes, I definitely made the right choice.

 _'Freddie!'_ Delilah mewled frantically. ' _Where the hell have you been? I couldn't talk to anyone while you were gone. And you didn't even bring back any food for me! Don't you care about me at all?'_

I laughed and gave Delilah a pet. "I've missed you too, my love."

"I don't understand." Roger blinked. "You look so different."

"Freddie? My God, is that you?" Brian emerged from upstairs. Once he confirmed that it was me (unlike Roger who was an idiot), he rushed to hug me...Well hug me  _and_   Deaky because the bassist had latched himself to my side and refused to let go.

Then came the questions. "How did you escape? Are you okay? Are you the real Freddie Mercury or just a great pretender?" That last one came from Roger. What the hell was his problem?

"Of course it's me, darling. Don't be daft. I see that much hasn't changed since I left. You're still stupid as hell and blind as a bat."

"Fuck you, Freddie! As a matter of fact, Brian took me to the eye doctor and I got a pair of glasses so I'm not blind anymore."

"For the last time, your vision will not improve unless you wear them." Brian said shaking his head. "This is what I've been dealing with."

"Fine." Roger groaned fetching a pair of glasses that cutely framed his face and actually magnified his blue eyes. In my opinion he somehow managed to look sexy in them, but his bashful body language told me he was conscious of his appearance. "Huh. Wow! Yeah. It is you. Sorry. Before you just looked like a blurr different from the Freddie blurr. Now you just look like Freddie with a haircut and a mustache."

"Well now that you can see me properly. I'll ask. What do you think?"

"Gayer." He replied.

"I think you look handsome as ever." Deaky said nuzzling his head against the crook of my neck.

"I think you look like you could use a nap and some food." Brian said. "You've probably been through hell, Fred. And we want to hear all about your adventures, but for now you should get some rest. You deserve it."

"Yes let us spoil you rotten." Roger declared. "We've missed you like crazy. Things really haven't been the same round here without you."

"Are you hungry, love? You seem like you've lost weight. I'll make you 39 cheese toasties." Deaky offered.

"Darling, don't you think that's a bit much?"

"I'll draw you a bath with lots of bubbles." Roger exclaimed.

"And I'll fluff your pillows and gather you lots of blankets." Brian announced. "How does that sound? My parents are at the hunter gathering so we can have a quiet, relaxing afternoon together."

"I was wondering why the neighborhood is so quiet. They're all attended that dreadful event. Personally I'd much rather be here getting pampered by my boys. In fact I don't think there's any place I'd rather be but with you."

"Me too." Deaky said planting a kiss on my cheek. "I love you so much, Freddie."

"I love you too, John. Life without you was unbearable. Care to join me in this bubble bath Rog is promising?" Deaky turned an adorable shade of pink and the warm fuzzy feeling of being whole again returned. I was happy at home.

Roger just drew the bath and added the solution to make it super bubbly but then he gave us privacy of course. It was a bit of a squeeze but Deaky and I both fit in the tub.

I began to play with the bubbles, splashing all about and getting suds on Deaky's nose and giggling when he sneezed in response. What can I say I'm old but still a child.

"It is so good to have you back. I've felt so lost and alone without you." Deaky remarked.

I purposefully tapped my foot against the soul mark on his. "We were never far apart, darling, even if it did feel that way at times."

"I did feel your love from across our bond and it made me feel better but it wasn't the same as having you here with me. I kept getting a sense that you were trying to talk to me but I couldn't hear or understand any of it. It was very frustrating. But now I can finally talk to you for real. There was something you really wanted me to know, something about family."

Deaky had the right to know that his mother and sister were in the other civilization. However a selfish part of me held back. What if he ran away and tried to find them? Of course I wanted them to reunite like I had with my family, but it was just too dangerous. And there was another underlying fear as well. What if John chose them over me? I didn't want us to be split up ever again. Live Aid would unite us and I couldn't risk another fracture.

"I don't remember." I spoke. "I probably just wanted you to tell Brian and Roger that we're a family."

"We are." Deaky agreed.

Although guilty for lying, I felt much more relaxed after getting out and drying off. While John prepared us cheese on toast, I filled the boys in on everything that had happened to me with the exception of Julie and Mrs. Deacon. In return they informed me of what was going on in their lives.

I wasn't sure what was more outrageous. The fact that Roger and Deaky were no longer allowed to even step foot in the studio or that Mrs. May only allowed us to keep one kitty. I'd be visiting my other babies very soon but I trusted Phoebe with them. He didn't have the connection I shared with Delilah, but he was wonderful with cats.

"So how do you feel about the Africa concert?" I proposed.

"You mean Live Aid?" Brian asked. "I'm game, but  _I'm_ not the one risking everything by making an appearance in public. We'll need to sneak you in, and there's a chance that after we perform and the pardon expires, you'll be taken from us again. On the other hand, if the officials are serious about changing the laws as a result of this concert, then this could lead to your freedom and the liberation of all magical creatures. Either way we'll be making a difference and those starving children need our help."

"I say what do we have to lose, but I want this to be a band decision. So that's a vote yes from Brian and me." I summarized. "Roger?"

"Fuck yes! Let's feed those starving kids and show the world that we can rock them and deserve to be set free!" He declared.

"It looks like I'm outvoted." Deaky said.

"No. This is unanimous. What's your vote, darling?"

"I'm scared," he admitted, "but I still wanna do it. It is for a good cause after all."

"That's my boy!" I applauded. "We'll go and punch a hole through the roof of that stadium."

"Actually Wembley doesn't have a roof." Deaky pointed out.

"Alright." I accepted his ever observant words of wisdom.

"No, he's right it doesn't." Brian affirmed.

"Then we'll punch a hole in the sky!" I proclaimed.

"Then it's all settled. I'll call Miami and see if he can get us on the list to perform." Brian said.

"Ooh!" Roger cried eagerly, "Can we please play my song—"

"—If you say I'm in Love With my Car I'm going to yeet myself back to the outskirts." I threatened.

"I'm in Love With my Car would be awesome, but I was asking about the new song, Radio Gaga. I think that song would be a lot of fun to play in a big stadium like Wembley."

"It would." I agreed.

"We can hammer out the setlist after we've secured ourselves a slot to perform." Brian said.

"So that's Radio Gaga, Hammer to Fall, and obviously we need to play Bohemian Rhapsody. Perhaps we'll open with that..."

Little did I know that I was brainstorming a setlist that would go down as one of the greatest live rock and roll performances in history!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter but totally worth it! The boys are back together and Freddie's mustache has arrived!!!👨🏻
> 
> Stay tuned for Live Aid and more😘


	31. Live Aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen performs at Live Aid!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're approaching the end guys! Not too much more to go. This story has been such an incredible journey and I'm so blessed that you all agreed to join me on the crazy rollercoaster from ChuckECheese fluff to some serious angst, thanks to ALL of my readers. You give me a platform to share my creative nonsense and I love you. Thank you always!
> 
> NOW ON WITH THE SHOW!

_Freddie's POV_

I paced back and forth the trailer anxiously. Outside the stadium were protestors demanding that all magical creatures be removed from the facility and banned from performing. There was a chance that after we went on stage, I'd be met with officers in the wings to take me back to Lloyd's zoo. Fuck that shit! I was gonna go out there and show that roaring Wembley crowd the time of their lives and hopefully I'd inspire people to call in more donations for the hungry children in Africa while I was at it.

"Good thoughts. Good words. Good deeds." I whispered, thinking of Papa. My family at home was probably watching. I promised Mama I'd blow her a kiss.

Were Mrs. Deacon and Julie watching as well? Would they recognize John if they saw him? What would they think? Deaky didn't even know they were out there, and it was all my fault. It killed me to lie to him like that, and I regretted my moment of selfishness. However, when I tried to open up to Deaky lately, he told me he didn't want to hear anything about the other civilization and my time away from him. It just upset him. I glanced over at Deaky who was lying down with his eyes shut trying and failing not to look sick. Poor thing!

Half an hour before the biggest performance of our lives was probably not the best time to tell John that his mother and sister were still alive and missed him...

"Darling." I nudged the sleepyhead gently. Deaky groaned softly. "Let me nap. I need my energy for...for facing that scary crowd."

"It's not scary, dear. Remember they  _want_  us to do well. They came here to be entertained. All we have to do is give them the rock and roll they deserve" I assured him. "Listen, sweetheart, there's something I need to tell you."

John sat up and pulled me into a hug. "I-I can't go through this again, Freddie. After the show, they're gonna take you."

"Never mind that." I dismissed. "There is something really important I want to tell you that I should've told you much earlier. When I was in the magic civilization, I met--"

A loud knock on our trailer door made Deaky flinch. Brian looked up from tuning the Red Special and Roger dropped the car magazine he was flipping through. "Are we allowed to open it?" Roger looked to Brian. Since arriving at Wembley the managers, crew, and stagehands had been ignoring the three of us and only dealing with Brian. It was annoying, but I doubted Roger would slip into the mentality that we were actually inferior.

"This is fucking ridiculous. Of course we are." I said opening the door.

As if I were the invisible man, the crew member looked right past me, and walked over to Brian. I rolled my eyes. "Hello to you, too, darling. I don't need anything. Just remember to tell us when we're going on stage."

"Mr. May," He ignored me and spoke to Brian, "management says they want all claimed magical creatures wearing their collars. Also, give this to your fugitive muse and make sure he wears it on stage."

Before Brian could react, I snatched the arm bracelet the man was holding. It was meant for me so I should take it directly. The crew member recoiled at my touch. "Oh relax, darling. I promise I'm not contagious."

"Get the collars on the other two." He told Brian coldly before leaving.

I examined the bracelet as Brian ranted about how stupid all of this was. ' _Civilization Permits Performance for Charity Before Returning to Proper Owner'_

"Oh I'll wear this." I laughed to myself. "AY-OH!" I used my magic to cover the words on the black strap with fashionable silver squares matching the ones on my belt. "Much better."

"You're going to get in so much trouble." Brian said but he was grinning from ear to ear. He picked up one of the collars and put it around his own neck to make a statement. "We're going to make history."

"We are." I agreed. "We're gonna show the world what four aging queens can do."

"Clare's watching from home and I refuse to let her see me with a fucking collar like I'm a dogfish." Roger said.

"I'm wearing one too." Brian said. "But you're right. That's not a bold enough statement. They won't let you on stage without the collar. So you'll just take it off as soon as you're on stage. Same with you and me Deaky. That's what we'll do to show them that we won't put up with this bullshit."

"I'm keeping this on." I marveled at my newly improved arm bracelet that was now less like a shackle and more like an addition to my outfit. "I like what I've done with it. It really captures the sparkle in my belt. Do you think my outfit is too understated? Delilah suggested I try something a little less flamboyant for once."

Deaky hugged me again without being prompted. "Darling, I promise I'm alright. We're doing the right thing. Believe me we won't regret this."

Another knock at the door interrupted any attempt I got to tell Deaky about his mom and sister. This time when I went to answer it, I had trouble prying myself out of the shapeshifter's strong grasp. "I love you too, darling, but you need to let go." I said eventually freeing myself so I could answer the door and be ignored again.

Thankfully it was Miami, and he would treat us with more respect than we deserved as always. "How are you feeling, boys?"

"Fine." Brian said.

"Ready to rock and roll!" Roger shouted.

"Sick to my stomach." Deaky said.

"Freddie?" Miami prompted. "How are you doing?"

"Um...Combination of all of the above. What brings you to our trailer, darling? I'd offer you tea but I'm afraid we don't have any."

"Well, I have some potential good news." The lawyer announced. "Donations numbers are rising and it's enough to convince the government that magical creatures are capable of coexisting and doing good things without being coerced. A handful of protesters aside, the public truly does not want to see their favorite rockstars go back into hiding or worse get arrested. Sentiment is really changing for magical creatures now that so many talented people are sharing their secret. As we speak, legislation is being drafted to free all magical creatures."

"YES!" I screamed fisting my hand in the air triumphantly.

"I can't believe it!" Deaky gasped as Brian and Roger gave each other celebratory hugs and kisses.

"They're hoping to have legislation signed into law by tonight, but that may not be soon enough as the concert is set to end in the late afternoon." Miami explained cutting our cheers to a cease.

Deaky latched onto me again. This habit of his seemed to have developed after I returned from the magic civilization. If I didn't find it so adorable, it would be concerning. "We'll hide you after we perform. No one will find you until that legislation is signed and we're free men." Deaky vowed.

"Yeah. I'm sure there's a cupboard around here where you can hide." Roger suggested.

"Don't worry." Miami interjected. "We've figured out a solution. The biggest stars of the night and all unclaimed magical creatures or those in danger are giving encore performances later in the evening. So long as the concert commences and people continue to donate, you'll be allowed to stay. Freddie, I signed you up for a slot tonight for an encore performance."

"Just me?" I questioned.

"I had to be very clear that  _you_ would be onstage and therefore still protected. Lloyd could use loopholes to get you back early by arguing that Queen could only refer to three of its four members, so I made sure the roster says Freddie Mercury. But I'd suggest having Brian accompany you. If the legislation doesn't get passed, we can still try to have Brian assigned as your hunter escort. Seeing him on stage with you could work in your favor." He explained.

I nodded. "What do you think, Brimi? Will you do an encore with me tonight?"

"Of course, Freddie. Why bother asking? You know my answer is always yes." Brian replied. "Any ideas on what song we'll do?"

I gave it some thought. A while ago after hearing the distressing news of the tragedy of fellow muse John Lennon's assassination, we had written a sad song together about the state of the world we had created. It fit so perfectly for this event as it addressed the problem of children going hungry.

"It's acoustic." Brian remarked before I could bother saying the title out loud.

"Darling, please, everyone knows I'm a muse. Who gives a shit if I glow? In fact, I won't hold back. I'll let myself glow, light up the night sky like stars. If it's the last performance I ever give, I'll make it one to remember!" I declared.

Brian grinned. "I was gonna ask you to do just that."

"You're a legend, Fred." Roger proclaimed.

"You're bloody right I am." I replied. "We're all legends."

"Best of luck out there, boys! I know you're going to absolutely kill it!" Miami encouraged. I watched him meander out of the trailer and make his way over to the soundboard. Huh. What could Miami be up to with that mechanism? I shrugged and shut the door.

"We should start to get ready to go out. They'll be calling us on soon." Brian announced.

Deaky was still clinging to me as another crew member arrived to announce that Queen should be waiting in the wings for their cue.

"Darling, I always love your embrace, but if your arms are around me I can't play my piano and you can't play your bass and neither of us can dance. All I ask is you let me go for 20 minutes so we can rock the world and then we'll cuddle all you want afterwards."

"Promise?" Deaky asked.

"I promise." I replied.

"Um." Deaky tugged at his sleeves anxiously now that he didn't have me to hold. "What were you trying to tell me earlier?"

"Make your conversations quick or save them for after we go on." Roger warned as he shook away his nerves.

Definitely not the best time to deliver the news about Julie and Mrs. Deacon. John was already so vulnerable, and a lot was riding on our performance to say the least. Nothing could go wrong.

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you." I stated.

"...HER MAJESTY, QUEEN!"

I bounced on the heels of my feet as I approached the stage. Deaky kisses my cheek. "I love you too." He whispered. "Now let's go kick some ass!"

With one final parting deep breath I ran onto the stage waving out to the sea of people as the boys set themselves up.  Out if the corner of my eye, I saw Roger and John take their collars off and throw them on the ground in an act of defiance. Then Brian bent down to allow Roger to take his collar off for him. I was too focused and zoned into the roaring crowd to consider this symbolic or just cute.

This was it! I finally achieved my dream and made it to Wembley defying all the odds against me. Now I was going to make this worthwhile and show everyone that we deserved to be here. Not in a tower, not in a grotto, not in the magic mines, not in a barbaric hunting academy, but in a stadium delivering heartfelt rock and roll to a packed audience. Game on!

Seconds into the familiar chords of Bohemian Rhapsody, I won the crowd over. When the others joined in with their instruments, it brought about even more noise from the audience screaming with love and appreciation. I looked into the camera and blew Mama a kiss because I knew she was watching at home.

But this muse wasn't a one trick pony. No way! I got up from my piano bench as Roger initiated the beat for Radio Ga Ga. I sang and danced till sweat beaded out from every gland in my body, and with just the command of my arm, no magic necessary, I got all of Wembley to clap along in unison. We were one!

The song ended and I knew exactly what I planned to do next. I was discouraged by the others during rehearsals and soundcheck. 'It's not a Queen concert, Freddie. They're not here to see you specifically...Everyone knows you're a muse now...It'll never work...There's no way you can capture an audience this large...' Time to prove everybody wrong!

"AY-OH!"

No magic, just a voice. The crowd was glued to me, mimicking my every sound to everyone's astonishment even my own. I was able to do it. I hit a note that was sure to be heard around the world, holding it as long as I could....And they sang it back.

"Alright!" I shouted, grinning to myself when the crowd yelled it back like an echo. Who said muses can't amount to anything outside of a lab?

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hammer to fall!" I announced.

A cameraman got in my way as I tried to sing and command the stage with my moves. I realized he was zooming in on my arm bracelet and recognized the logo of Lloyd's zoo on his shirt. He must be trying to get some free advertising. With an eye roll, I humored the bastard, circling around him as I sang, nearly tripping him in the process. I made the message not to mess with me quite clear and he didn't bother me again.

Taking another break from the dancing for a moment, I secured a guitar around my body. Let's see how those two chords Brian taught me held up in front of Wembley. "This next song is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight..." To my side I noticed Deaky's fine ass in the jeans he was wearing. Beautiful indeed. I regained focus. "It means all of you. Thank you for coming along and making this a great occasion."

I began to strum not bothering to hide my inferior guitar skills when I standing next to the great Brian May. I stood by Crazy Little Thing Called Love regardless of the basic chords I was playing. My Elvis impression was spot on tonight and the audience just ate it up.

"READY FREDDIE!" Roger screamed.

Oh yes, I was ready for this! My entire life was building up to this moment, and I was enjoying each and every second of it, not wanting it to ever end. Unfortunately, the set was only 20 min long, so it had to be over far too soon. We Will Rock You followed by We Are the Champions concluded the momentous time. I looked out one last time to the sea of people moved to tears by our performance. I'd never seen anything like it. We impacted all of them, each and every person in the stadium.

"We just did that!" Roger shouted as we made our way offstage. "Holy shit! Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"

"I can't believe that just happened!" Brian exclaimed.

I was still reeling with excitement and adrenaline I could barely speak. Bowie caught up with us grinning from ear to ear. "You stole the show!"

"Thank you, David." Deaky said as Brian and Roger ran off hand in hand in euphoria. I assumed they were going to make out somewhere to rid themselves of the excess energy that comes from putting on a show like that.

"You must be very proud of yourselves! I'm certainly proud of you." Bowie congratulated.

"Freddie was the true star." Deaky remarked humbly.

"Nonsense, darling,  _we_ are the champions, not just me." I reminded him, planting a kiss on his cheek making him giggle.

"I guess you two could use some privacy like your drummer and guitarist who ran off to do God knows what." Bowie laughed. "Congrats again!" He patted me on the back before leaving us to ourselves.

"You were on fire, Freddie!" Deaky exclaimed.

"200 degrees that's why they call Mr. Fahrenheit." I reminded him of one of my many alter egos. "Back to the trailer, love? I think Bowie is right and we deserve a little alone time. I did promise you cuddles, didn't I?"

"You did!" The shapeshifter nuzzled against me. "I'm glad you remembered."

"Melina! Deaky!" Elton intercepted us on our way to the trailer. "You really showed us how it's done. You outdid  _all_  of us, myself included."

"Thank you Sharon, darling. It was quite the experience! Now, if you'll excuse us, we're heading back to our trailer. I need to take a nap to reinvigorate myself for my encore tonight. Isn't that right, Deaky? A nice long, hard, nap." I winked at John, but he stared back at me quizzically. "But you promised me cuddles. Can I cuddle with you while you sleep?"

"Bloody hell, John! I meant sex!" I blurted.

Elton just laughed. "Have fun! I hope it's the best  _nap_  of your lives because you two deserve it after putting on the performance of a lifetime. I'm still blown away!"

"I just can't get over how amazing you were!" Deaky raved. "I mean who taught you how to dance like that? The crowd went nuts when you broke out those moves on Radio Ga Ga."

"Well I learned from the best dancer I know." I teased giving him a playful bop on the nose. "Who me?" John laughed. "I just hop around a bit. I'm not that great."

"Stop being so fucking humble, darling. You're spectacular."

"You're even more spectacular." Deaky countered. "I sure hope your family was watching so they could see you sharing your gift with the world."

"Yeah." My smile faded for the first time since I left the stage. "Listen, John, there is something that you should know. I um I don't know how to tell you this, but...When I was in the magic civilization, I came across Julie and your mother." There, the truth was out at last. Deaky nodded, clearly not processing what I had just told him. He bit down on his lip. "What?"

"I met them. They're still alive. Julie works as a receptionist at a law clinic and your mother is a tremendous cook who caters for local community events. They made it out of the outskirts safely years ago and settled in the magic civilization living among muses and a few other types of friendly creatures."

Deaky's eyes watered as he took in the information. "And Dad?"

Shit! This was going to be hard. "Um...I'm so sorry, sweetheart..."

"Don't say it!" John shouted.

"But you should know what happened to hi--"

"--Why bother telling me now? You waited long enough! Were you just lying this entire time? You had all this time to tell me that Mom and Julie....Oh God! Do they think I'm dead? Did you lie to them too and not tell them about me?"

"No, of course not! I told them about you right away. Julie was so happy to hear that you're alive, and your mother..." I sighed recalling her tears. "Oh, Deaky, she misses you like crazy, like any grieving mother would."

I flinched when Deaky of all the people in the world slapped me. He struck me right across the cheek. It didn't hurt, but the blow shocked me. "What the hell, John?" I cried.

"I've been waiting for this news my entire fucking life and you kept it from me!" He shouted. "What were you thinking? Why would you wait until after the biggest concert of our career to tell me? You should've told me that moment you came back. It's my own mother you spoke to. I have a right to know about her! Do you have any idea what it's been like to be left all alone wondering whether or not your family is out there or even remembers you?"

"Okay maybe I fucked up, but don't talk to me like that because I  _do_ know exactly what it's like to be displaced and abandoned and feeling like my family completely forgot about me. And how dare you hit me! That is unacceptable!" I shouted.

"Fuck off, Freddie!" He spat. "This is your fault. I wouldn't be this pissed off at you if you had come to clean with me to begin with. What were you thinking? How could you keep a secret this big from me?"

"Because I didn't want to lose you, darling." I cried. "I just got you back. I couldn't let you run off to the outskirts in search of the magic civilization to see your family and get yourself killed."

"That's not fair. You got to reunite with your family, but I'm not allowed.  _You_ tested your luck with the outskirts and turned out fine. Hell, I practically grew up in the outskirts. I have the upper hand because I'm more experienced than you." Deaky argued.

"Where the hell are you going?" I called after him worried he may make a run for it and I'd never see him again. "You can't leave, Deaky! There's protestors out there!"

"I'm not stupid, Freddie! God! Just leave me alone!" John scoffed.

"So now you're not clinging all over me like I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread?"

"Don't insult bread like that. It's way better than you! I love it more than you." He snapped. 

"You take that back!" I gasped.

"No! I won't take it back!" Deaky folded his arms. "If I had to choose between you and bread, the bread would win in a heartbeat. Bread doesn't lie to me."

"Well bread doesn't give you incredible sex and cuddles and kisses that make you melt. So go eat your sad slices of bread while you cry alone in a corner for all I care." I humphed heading back in the direction of the trailer. 

"You can nap by yourself, Freddie!" I heard Deaky shout back angrily.

Jesus Christ! That went horribly. Where did we go wrong? Was it really my fault? I did not expect my sweet little Deaky to react so violently. Should I apologize? No, he said hurtful things to me. He owed me the apology. There was no way a piece of bread could be a better lover than me. How ridiculous! Damn, was John being immature. How could I go from experiencing greatest moment of my life to an awful fight with my husband that left me in tears?

I barged into the trailer without knocking only to find Brian and Roger busy doing what Deaky and I should have been doing. Great! As if things couldn't get any worse, I had to walk in on my two best friend while they get down and make love. Why did these things always have to happen to me? Maybe I should learn how to knock. Roger screamed loud enough to give me a headache and that was my cue to awkwardly back out the door and try to erase the image from my mind. There would be hell to pay later.

***

"Freddie, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Mary hugged me.

"Hello, my love." I greeted her. I noticed her slight growing baby bump. "And hello, little one. I don't believe we've met. I'm your Uncle Freddie."

Mary laughed and patted her stomach gently. "Yes, sweetheart. This is one of your godfathers. One day you'll hear all about the unforgettable show he put on at Live Aid."

"I thought David wasn't permitting a magical creature to be the godfather of his child." I remarked.

"Yes well since I'm the one carrying this precious little bugger I have more of a say." Mary said firmly. "And um...Well I have a confession to make, Freddie. David and I are getting a divorce."

I supported that decision as Mary could do better but I was nonetheless shocked. "Why? I thought he was your soulmate."

"What? No. David is not my soulmate. Who told you that?"

"Delilah. She knows everything. I doubt she's wrong. She knew I was gay even before I did."

Mary shook her head. "Not that it's any of your cat's business but David and I agreed to date and eventually get married because we never found our soulmates. We love each other, but we have very different viewpoints on things. I let a lot of it slide which was wrong of me, but I refuse to settle any longer. When David chose to boycott Live Aid, a concert for  _charity,_ because of his ignorance I decided that enough is enough. I left him this morning."

"You made the right decision, darling. And you know I'll always be here if you need me. I mean that Mary." I assured her.

"I know, Freddie, but believe me I'm no stranger to getting my heart broken. It's funny really this is what I always settle for—I love you but. I love you, Mary,  _but_  I need space. I love you, Mary, _but_ I love someone else. And now I love you Mary,  _but_  I see your best friends as inferior."

"I love you, Mary, but I'm gay." I remembered whispering those exact words to her late one night in the lab when she confessed her feelings for me and we shared a kiss. "I'm so sorry, darling. I didn't know I was one of the many who said that to you."

Mary only gave me a sad smile. "With you it was the hardest because it's not even your fault. But in the end I'm glad that we're only friends. Look how happy you are and how much you've grown now that you have the real love of your life by your side. I couldn't be more pleased with you finding your soulmate. Speaking of which where is Deaky? Shouldn't you be off celebrating what an outstanding job you did on stage?"

"I don't know where he went." I sighed. "We're in a bit of a fight right now."

"Oh no!" Mary cried. "I don't understand. You two are so perfect together. You complete each other."

"All couples have their occasional disputes, Mary. It's only natural. I just wish this would blow over and everything can be all by the way."

Why did this scuffle have to hurt so much? Perhaps it was the uncertainty creating my agony. I had no clue where John was and we left unapologetic. The chapter needed closing so we could start anew otherwise I was left in limbo wondering what our future held.

"You'll get through this. It's just a rough patch in the road." Mary said.

"I appreciate your optimism." I told her. My mind traveled back to those dark days when I was reduced to a pathetic guinea pig. Experiencing a crush for the very first time and having a person treat me kindly for once gave me the hope I needed to survive. "Darling, Have I ever told you how grateful I am to have a friend like you. Now I won't say you were the first friend I ever had because Delilah will throw a fit, but you were the first person to look at me and not see a muse or a creature to be exploited and taken advantage of. You treated me...well like I was human."

"Freddie, you  _are_ human, or you might as well be. We're all the same inside right down to our beating hearts. No one is better than anyone else and no one is worse than anyone else. The sooner we get over this fear and hatred of magic, the sooner we can end the suffering. I think this event proves that we can all look past our differences and work together with all of our strengths and uniquenesses to make the world a better place. We're actually helping people instead of hurting them and it feels good to lift up those starving children instead of bringing them down."

"Hopefully the legislators will be inspired by what we've achieved today and they'll set us free." I prayed. "I don't know what I'll do if I end up back in a cage at the end of the night."

I had been in denial this whole time but it was still a reality I could face. This promised legislation was not set in stone yet. Beneath these studded squares, the arm bracelet marked me as Lloyd's possession. What if I was taken again and my last memory of Deaky was us in a fight? I couldn't allow that to happen.

"Mary, dear, I have to go find Deaky. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Alright. Just stay within the stadium. Those protestors outside won't be too pleased to see you." She advised.

I knew better than to go back to the trailer as Brian and Roger likely weren't done, so I searched every other area where Deaky could have gone. Finally, I heard someone crying in the loo, and spotted the bassist's sneakers beneath one of the stalls. The door was locked, but I knew Deaky wasn't using the toilet. 

"S-Someone's in here!" John sniffled. "Go away!" He sobbed some more waiting for me to leave, but I did no such thing. I knocked. "Please come out, darling. I promise I won't hurt you."

The stall unlocked and I was met with Deaky red eyed from crying. "I think I'm your soulmate." He responded softly. Then he hugged me, wetting my shoulder with his tears. 

"Shh. Shh. It's alright, dear. I'm sorry. I should have told you the moment I came back and I understand why you're mad at me, love."

"I am mad, but that doesn't excuse those horrible things I said to you...I  _hit_ you, Freddie. What the hell is wrong with me? You must hate me!"

"No, never, darling. I'll always love you." I assured him, rocking him in my arms. "You're forgiven."

"B-But I was acting like a child." John whimpered. "I compared you to bread for goodness sake. What the hell was I thinking? I can live without bread, but I can't live without you."

"I think that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me." I laughed, wiping his remaining tears. 

"Really?" Deaky asked skeptically. "That makes me bad at my job if I haven't said anything more romantic than that."

"I'm joking, sweetheart. You've written my love songs. I couldn't ask for a better husband. And I just hate it when we fight." I sighed. "I'm so, so sorry, Deaky. I had no right keeping your family a secret. I promise I'll find a way to get you to meet them. We'll venture through the outskirts together. We'll do whatever it takes. Because you deserve to know that you're not alone, and your mother and sister never stopped loving you and they miss you just as much as I missed you when I was gone."

Deaky nodded, still trembling slightly in my embrace. "I forgive you." He whispered. "And you're so much better than bread. You mean more to me than...well, anything really. I don't know what I'd do without you. I was totally lost when you left. I haven't fully recovered."

"I can tell." I noted. "But I'll do what I can to take care of you. I love you so much, Deaky."

"I love you too, Freddie." He replied.

All was forgiven and we officially ended the fight with a sweet kiss. Now I could at last breath a sigh of relief. 

"So you wanna go back to the trailer and have some fun?" John said suggestively.

"No, darling, we can't go there. I'm afraid Brian and Roger are having their own nap."

"Wait." Deaky scratched his head. "Are they actually sleeping or are they having se--You know what never mind. I don't want to know."

"I need to get ready for my encore with Brian." I remembered. "Hopefully Roger didn't ware him out too much."

Deaky cringed at my inadvertent answer of his retracted question. Oh my innocent baby. What was I going to do with him? Love him forever was a given of course. 

"Freddie, can you tell me about my mother?" Deaky requested shyly. There was a sad but hopeful look in his eye that I couldn't deny.

"Of course. I'll tell you all about her and Julie. Everything you'd like to know." I replied. 

"Just...don't tell me about what happened to Dad please. I want to hear it eventually, but I don't think I'm ready for that news. I need more time." John interjected.

"That's a very mature decision, darling. You'll know when you're emotionally ready to handle it." I remarked. I was not looking forward to having that conversation with him. My soulmate had been through too much tragedy and it was breaking my heart. So I lightened the mood with some bittersweet tales of his mother and sister and what I had learned about them in the time I spent in the magic civilization. Somehow by the grace of God I would stay true to my promise and have Deaky meet them one day. 

***

"So this is it, huh?" I inhaled a deep breath. "If the legislation isn't passed, this will be the last time I ever perform."

"It will pass! It has to pass!" Deaky insisted. 

"I couldn't find any cupboards in the vicinity, but there are several lockers for the stagehands and I might've stolen a key for one of them." Roger said.

"I am not hiding in a fucking locker, Roger!" I cried. "You return that key to its rightful owner."

Brian just looked me over with utter confusion written on his face. "How would Freddie even fit in a--"

"--The trick is to scrunch yourself into a little ball like so." Roger got down on the floor to demonstrate. "See, now I'm compact and can fit anywhere I want! Take that, Deaky! I'm the  _real_ shapeshifter!" That earned him John's famous death glare. 

"Or you're just small and cute." Brian countered.

"Fuck off!" Roger shouted up at him.

"I'm going to miss these shenanigans." I sighed. 

"Freddie, don't talk like that. You'll be fine. We'll figure out a way to keep you safe." Brian said. "One that doesn't involve you squeezing into tight spaces."

"Thanks, Brimi. When we walk out on the stage in front of all those screaming fans, you should know that it wouldn't have been possible with you." I told him. I locked eyes with Deaky and smiled. "And you, darling." Then I looked down at Roger who was still on the floor. "And even though you're rolling around on the dirty ground like some sort of animal, you were also a vital part of me achieving my dream. So thank you, boys. Thank you for everything. No matter what we'll always be a family."

"Brian, Freddie, you're on!" A stagehand assured us out of the wings.

"Break a fin!" Roger said. 

"You mean break a le--Oh forget it." Brian just gave Roger a kiss and pulled him up to his feet ensuring he didn't get any gum or dirt on his clothes.

"Deaky, darling, you're gonna have to let me go." I instructed as I realized he was still clinging to me. Reluctantly, he released me. I turned back before I went out on stage to greet the crowd. Already I could hear the screaming mass of people so I couldn't hear what Deaky said but I read the words on his lips. "I love you." I blew him a kiss and then went out to face the audience. 

After our performance that blew everyone away earlier in the afternoon, we were met with a welcoming boisterous applause. It was good to be back. I absorbed the warmth of the screaming crowd. It was possible that their adoring cheers would turn to boos in moments notice. Brian sat down on the stool and began to strum his guitar. I didn't bother putting up a guard. I accepted my inner muse and what music did to me. It was time to embrace who I was. The music made me glow. I lit up the stage fearlessly standing before Wembley. The thousands of people suddenly became incredibly quiet, shocking so for a crowd this huge. All eyes were on me. 

However, when I sat down on the stool adjoining Brian's and clutched my mic stand preparing to sing, the silence ceased and we were met with applause even louder than before. They still loved me.  Brian looked up from his guitar, nodding to me wordlessly, his curls bouncing. 

I sang naturally, for once not holding back. I wasn't free, but I felt complete finally letting loose and allowing myself to let go and glow. The audience didn't care. They accepted me. Once again we were all one. The goal here was bigger than muses and hunters, we wanted to make a difference and help the children going hungry. That was why we were all here. I kept this in mind as I basked in this newfound freedom exploring what it was like to sing without any restraints. 

"Thank you very much." I nearly broke down at the conclusion of the song. ' _Thank you for everything. I can die a happy man.'_ I thought. 

Brian held up his guitar, and the two of us walked off stage as my glow faded. The wild applause was still going on as we left. "They love you, Freddie!" Brian beamed. "Do you hear them? They want  _another_ encore!" 

"Maybe one day we'll be able to perform together again." I remarked somberly. I was in a rather reflective mood as my career was officially over just as I reached my highest peak. "It's been an honor playing with you, Brimi. Now get over here and give me a big poodle hug!" 

"I want to see that glow again." Brian said as he abided by my request. "Every night at our concerts, we'll do acoustic tracks just like that. You'll be like aurora borealis, the most beautiful sight in the world." 

"I don't speak Latin, dear. What the hell is aurora borealis?" 

"It's Greek actually." He explained. "It refers to the northern or polar lights. That's what your glow reminds me of, and I don't want you to ever hold back again now that the truth is out. Everyone needs to see the beauty of your gift, Freddie. You should embrace your magic now. No more hiding."

"You're convinced that this isn't the end." I noted. 

"I'm usually right, aren't I?" Brian countered. 

"MY MUSE!" Deaky interrupted our melancholic moment running toward me nearly tackling me down. "Oh Freddie, you were perfect! You sang like an angel! It was so magical! I don't even have the words to describe it!" He took a breath. "And Brian, you were great too as always!" 

"Thank you, John. Where's Roger?" Brian looked around for the siren who appeared to be missing.

"He's probably hiding in a cupboard." I figured. 

"I don't know where he went. I was too busy watching you two. I couldn't take my eyes away from the incredible--"

"--Step aside, shapeshifter! That muse belongs to me. I have paperwork to prove it." Lloyd tried to force himself in between us, but Brian stepped forward acting as an intercept. "Take me down if you have to. I don't care. No one takes Freddie from us!" 

"Yeah." Deaky agreed. "You'll have to go through us first!" 

At this point I was more annoyed than upset or scared. "Lloyd, darling, if you're going to come here brandishing your authority you should have at the very least ensured that your fly wasn't down." 

"What are you--Oh shit!" He pulled up his zipper. "Now that that matter is taken care of--"

A man wearing a trench coat and hat who looked suspiciously like Roger Taylor with a pair of glasses and a fake mustache emerged and tapped Lloyd on the shoulder. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm from Galileo Labs and I just purchased this muse from one of the representatives at your zoo. I have the paperwork to prove that he's mine and not yours anymore." I'd give Roger an A for effort, but the least he could do to make this facade more plausible was disguise his voice. 

"Don't make me throw water on you, you dumb fishy!" Lloyd spat not falling for the incognito drummer. "I don't know how your master lets you wander around making a mockery of--"

I tensed when a team of more officers approached. Lloyd on his own wasn't too intimidating, but there was no way we could fight off armed guards. I might as well hand myself over to Lloyd peacefully so the others wouldn't get hurt. 

"Lloyd Evilmen," I gasped when they handcuffed the hunter, "You're under arrest for violating the rights of magical creatures. You will hold trial for your crimes at the newly established special court for magical creatures."

"Court? Rights? Magical creatures don't have any of that shit!  They're not people. I've done nothing illegal! Unhand me this instant!" Lloyd cried as he was forcefully taken away by the officers.

"What the hell just happened?" Roger asked as he peeled off his fake mustache. 

"I-I think...we won!" Brian said but he sounded just as confused as we all felt. 

Miami dashed over to us grinning wildly. "As of ten minutes ago, newly adapted legislation was enacted to free magical creatures and protect their rights. You're going to see a lot of changes being implemented very quickly to remedy the wrongs of this dark age! Boys, we did it! As of this moment, you're free men!" 

"Miami are you serious?" I exclaimed. 

"Yes, Freddie. I am dead serious."

Without warning Roger let out one of his signature high pitched screams. Swelled up in my enthusiasm and gratitude, I swiftly wrapped my arms around Miami planting a kiss on his lips. He pulled away somewhat stunned, but still smiling nonetheless. 

"Did you just kiss Miami?" Deaky laughed. I had never seen John grin this widely. We were all ecstatic, giddily jumping for joy and celebrating with screams of triumph. 

"All magical zoos, laboratories who experiment on magical creatures, and various hunting companies and organizations will be closing their doors forever immediately." Miami announced. 

I broke down into tears. "Darling, how can I thank you for all of your help in making this possible?" 

"Just promise to never kiss me again." He replied. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! They're freeeeee!!!! Yeah so in this verse, Brian and Freddie didn't write Is This the World we Created specifically for Live Aid but it still references starving children. In the Frian 5+1 one-shot for this book, we see the song referenced when Brian is comforting Freddie after John Lennon died, so it's a call back to that.
> 
> Anyway, not much left in this story as I said. Things will be wrapping up soon. I have an idea for a sequel but it's iffy and might end up like my abandoned Rebels of Rhye sequel. But I do plan to keep up with the one-shots and work on a Beatles spinoff. So fear not. Also the story isn't done just yet. There's still a few more chapters left to tie up the loose ends. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through all the highs and lows of these 400+ pages! Love you, darlings! 😘


	32. Mama Oooh!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie introducing his bandmates to the Bulsaras and John reunites with his family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit! I've been updating right and left in a sort of obsessed craze lately. I don't think I've ever gone this long without a writers' block and I'm seriously scaring myself. Somehow my most popular story has gone under the radar. It's bittersweet for me because this story is coming to an end. Not very much left besides fluff. When I'm not working on other stuff my crazy brain concocts I'll be working on the one-shots. Those will be on going. I hope to make a holiday special like I did for Halloween and Thanksgiving. We'll see. Any way the wind blows I guess.

_John's POV_

It seemed we were all at peace. I never imagined I'd get here. Freddie was sleeping on my shoulder, snoring softly as the train sped through the outskirts. Roger, now confidently sporting a pair of glasses, stuck his face against the window watching in awe. "So these railroads are really enchanted to ward off demons? Is that why it's just dull old woodland out there? I thought we'd see something more exciting."

"I'm just happy that the train runs purely on solar energy and the tracks haven't disturbed the ecosystem or hurt any animals." Brian remarked as he trailed circles up and down Roger's back."It's amazing how quickly everything is progressing. I'm proud of our ingenuity and natural movement towards coexistence. For once I can say that the hunter community is making strives in the right direction and I'm blessed to be a part of it. Damn I never thought those words would ever leave my mouth."

In this new dreamlike world we created, the hunters now took their duty to protect above their other qualities. They were moving in a new direction to make the world a better place for everyone by building rather than destroying. This brand new train for instance that connected Civilization A with Civilization B by offering safe transportation through the outskirts, was designed by hunters. Newer special weapons built by young hunters seemed to be evolving into helpful tools rather than hurtful bludgeons. Hunters still held the tradition of hunting animals much to Brian's dismay, but you need to feed your population somehow. Plants just weren't enough. At least in my opinion.

Mainly, the hunters made a shift toward working alongside law enforcement to make sure magical creatures felt safe for once. It was odd seeing a hunter in full uniform wave to me on the streets and ask if I needed any help or if anyone had tried to hurt me. Violence rates had gone up;  there were lots of hate crimes against magical creatures and there was still a lot of discrimination, but the courts and government were working their hardest to see that the bad guys of the past were brought to justice.

The trial of John Lennon's shooter was approaching. He was being charged with a hate crime because he shot a muse. It would be the first time a tragedy against a magical creature went mainstream. It was all everyone was talking about at the moment. I just hoped it would give us all some much needed closure.

' _Attention passengers_.  _We have now reached the halfway point of our journey through the outskirts. We should be arriving to Civilization B within the next hour. Thank you for traveling with us. Hunter Trains is sponsored by Galileo Labs. Looking forward to a future fit for everyone.'_

"I still don't trust all the laboratories." Roger frowned. "I don't care what they say. That shit is not voluntary."

"Well they hope to create a magic quench for a demon's blood thirst by the end of the decade with voluntary cooperation from magical creatures." I stated. The mission statement was displayed on an advertising sign above the window reminding us of the sponsor.  _Now accepting muse volunteers_ was written in fine print beneath the slogan  _Looking forward to a future fit for everyone._ I wanted to believe it was all for good purposes and not malice. "It would be hypocritical of us not to try to integrate demons into our society. If they no longer have a need to kill, then I have no problem with it." I reasoned.

"And what about the method? You really think muses should be strapped down and electrocuted and forced to sing till their throats bleed to make it happen?" Roger cried bluntly."What the fuck, Deaks? Do you really think that torture is worth it all so Prenter can become civilized?"

"Roger, keep your voice down please." Brian shushed him. "You'll wake Freddie."

The muse was fast asleep. Something about the clickity clack of the rocking train killed him right to sleep like a baby. I hadn't moved my position as Freddie rested his head on my shoulder, afraid I would wake him. "He's so cute when he sleeps." I cooed. "Very, very peaceful." Such a vulnerable and rare position for the energized rockstar.

"Here's an idea! We can film our next music video on a train!" Roger exclaimed.

"For your song Breakthru?" I asked. "That actually seems fitting. It has a beat like a runaway train."

"I like that idea. It could be fun." Brian remarked. "Of course we need approval from our frontman before we can start filming."

"Should we wake him up before we arrive?" Roger pondered. "If he sleeps too long, won't he be up all night?"

"Probably." I sighed. I shifted slightly causing Freddie to stir. I shook him gently. "Freddie, sweetheart." I whispered.

"Mama?" He slurred sleepily.

"Aw." I laughed. "That's right! We're going to see your Mama today. And your Papa and Kash too."

Freddie opened his eyes and sat up with a yawn. "That's right. Today my surrogate family meets my biological family."

"Wait...we're your surrogate family? How the hell does that work?" Roger blurted.

Before Freddie could elaborate on his bizarre specifications, a woman with a trolly selling treats came round.

"Oh how delightful! Are we on the train to Hogwarts?" Freddie exclaimed.

"No, Freddie, Hogwarts isn't real."

"John Richard Deacon! You take that back, you Muggle!"

"Am I missing something here? What's a Hogwart? And who's a Muggle?" Brian inquired cluelessly.

"You're joking!" Roger shouted. "You've read every book ever written ever and you don't know Harry Potter? What the hell, Brian?"

"Ah." Brian now understood what we were referencing. "No, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the books. They were unfortunately banned from the local library in my hunter neighborhood for glorifying wizards and magical creatures."

"That's bullshit." I groaned. "Books shouldn't be banned especially fictional books. It's a miracle your neighborhood even had a library. I bet the selection was so minimal. Oh what a shame!"

"Welcome to my world, John." Brian laughed sardonically. "Growing up I had to sneak out of town to get my books and hide them from my parents. I'm glad those days are behind me and we're finally moving forward."

"You think you had it bad? Imagine spending your teenage years with Paul Prenter." Freddie remarked. "Now is not the time to share our sob stories, my lovies. Let's have some fun. Excuse me, trolley ma'am, we'd like some sweets please, dear!"

"Ooh! Do you have any chocolate frogs?" Roger asked eagerly.

The woman shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I'm really sorry. The train is so new. We're just testing everything out. In the upcoming weeks I'll get more inventory."

"What about pumpkin juice?" Freddie requested.

"No I don't have that either. I'm sorry. It's really not my fault." She remarked.

"What kind of magical train is this?" Roger shouted disappointedly.

"Okay, what do you have then?" Brian asked politely.

"Well we have chocolate turtles and root beer floats." She said. "I'd recommend the turtles myself. They're really good and have caramel in the middle."

"We'll take 39 of them." Roger exclaimed.

"Four bags please." I rephrased Roger's request to something more reasonable. "How much do we owe you?"

"Oh, no charge. It's complimentary with your ticket. Here you go, boys. Enjoy!" She handed out the bags of chocolate turtles. Then she gave us napkins. "Um...I'm sorry. Do you mind giving me your autographs on those napkins? I'm a big fan! I'm trying to just keep myself together and behave professionally...but oh my god! You were so so good at Live Aid. I can't believe it! AAAH!"  

My favorite kind of fan girl, one who was respectful, and tried to treat us as normally as possibly. Well I didn't mind her fussing over us a little bit. She fanned herself with her hands. "You guys are so amazing! Oh and Brian, you may not know it but you're a real icon in the hunter community these days. Because of you I can get a job in hospitality. They would never hire a huntress in the field before you started to pave the way. So thank you especially." She squealed, throwing more bags of chocolate turtles at us. "Here, take more chocolate turtles! They say one snack and drink per traveller but these are on me."

"Well thank you. We really appreciate our fans." Brian said.

"Darling, how'd you like tickets to the first concert in Civilization B history at the brand new John Lennon Muse Stadium. We're playing there tomorrow night for the grand opening." Freddie offered. "We could get you front row seats."

"When they offered us the gig, I suggested they try to get the remaining Beatles to have a reunion concert instead since the stadium is named after John Lennon, but apparently that was too difficult to arrange." Roger explained.

"Oh I am not complaining. A Beatles reunion would be amazing, but front row at a Queen concert is...a-and meeting you four...I think I might faint. I-I..." And then she passed out.

"Oh shame she had to die on us. I really liked her." Freddie sighed.

***

The woman was revived when we reached the station in Civilization B. It caused a delay, but I was just glad she was alright and she'd be able to make it to the concert tomorrow night. Sometimes our fans overwhelmed me, but she seemed nice.

I knew Freddie was a Mama's boy but arriving at that station proved it even more.The moment he saw Jer waving to him from the platform he dropped his bags and ran to her. "Mama! Ooooh!" He sang giddily as he gave the older woman a hug. "I missed you, Mama! I blew you a kiss at Live Aid. Did you see it?"

Why was he so damn adorable? I watched Freddie interact with his Mama before he greeted Kash and his Papa as well. Bomi Bulsara appeared the exact way Freddie had described him and how a imagined him, a stern, stiff man, but with a heart of gold supposedly. Freddie's big hug seemed to melt that rough exterior. "Hello, Papa. It's so good to see you again! I've thought about you a lot since I left. I've been trying to heed your advice whenever I can to the best of my ability." The man smiled down at his son. "Yes, Farrokh. It's always good to see you. Now, why don't you introduce us to your friends?"

"Oh yes! How silly of me. Mama, Papa, Kash, this is my other family--my band. They've been the ones taking care of me when I was lost, and they're still taking care of me even now that I'm found. That's Brian, John, and Roger."

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Whoa, Freddie, you never told me your sister was so hot!"

Brian and I glared at Roger. What an introduction--Roger Taylor style! He shamelessly grinned and held up his ring. "Happily married, not to worry. Just an observation." Brian rolled his eyes. I had a feeling they'd have an argument about this later behind closed doors.

"Yes," Freddie broke up the tension as Bomi stared daggers at the oblivious siren, "as you know I'm also married."

He grabbed my hand pulling me forward. "My soulmate, John, is the best bass player around, and my pride and joy."

"Freddie!" I protested, bowing my head embarrassedly. I peeked up at his family, eyeing his arm around me. "Um Hello, my name is--"

"--John Richard Deacon, August 19th, yada yada, they don't care. What they want to know is how happy you make me, darling. You know it's true." Freddie said boldly planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Ohmygod! You were right, Freddie! He's a cutie!" Kash squealed. "Hi, John! It's so nice to finally meet you." She shook my hand vigorously. Then she turned to Brian and Roger. "It's so good to meet  _all_  of you. Freddie only has nice things to say about you guys. He really loves you."

"It is wonderful to meet you all." Jer said. She surprisingly gave me a hug and only shook Brian and Roger's hands. Odd. However, I wasn't worried about winning over Jer's heart. It was Bomi's.

"Yes, well, John, you are family as we honor the soulmate system in the Bulsara household." Bomi said shaking my hand. "And any friend of Farrokh's is always welcomed in our home." He shook Brian's hand but not Roger's.

"See, dear! I told you you'd get his blessing." Freddie said. "Papa may seem mean and scary, but he's a softie deep down."

"Farrokh, you dropped your bags, why don't you go pick them up?" His father ordered.

"Oh no, that's alright, Mr. Bulsara, I'm used to carrying Freddie's bags for him." Brian interjected as he took Freddie's bags. "They'd all be losing their things otherwise if I weren't in charge. I mean did you say the way Freddie just dropped his bags on the platform without thinking. I swear I'm always picking up after my boys."

"Ah, so you're the responsible one." Jer observed. "Freddie says you're the scientist if I'm not mistaken. You must be very bright."

"Well I don't know about that. I study astrophysics. I hope to get a PhD in it someday." Brian stated humbly.

"That's very impressive." She said. "What about you, John? Freddie says you're also very brilliant. You're an engineer."

"I am. I got an honorary degree in technical engineering from the Civilization Base Camp." I told her. "I worked for a while in the field until we started up Queen."

Freddie slunk his arm around me as we walked to the bus stop. "He built his own amplifier for us. Can you believe it?"

"What do you do, Roger?" Kash asked with a flirtatious giggle. Wait was she actually interested in Roger? Maybe she was just trying to rile up her father.

"I'm the drummer!"

"He's a dentist." Brian announced.

"I am not a dentist!" Roger cried.

"He's a dentist." I reiterated making Roger pout. "I'm a badass rockstar, not a dull dentist!"

"Well if I need another root canal I'll give you a call." Bomi said.

"But I'm not a dentist! Is it the new glasses? Is that why you think I'm a dentist? Because I'm not a dentist."

"Oh please stop teasing him." Kash said. "He's not a dentist. He's a rockstar."

"Exactly. Thank you, Kash." Roger winked at her.

"He's a rockstar dentist." Freddie snickered.

"Oh shut it, Mercury!" Roger shouted. "Like you're one to make fun of a dentist!"

"Is that a jab at my teeth? Oh please, darling, I thought even you weren't that petty."

"Wait...You said he's making fun of a dentist, and he's making fun of you, so that does make you a dentist?" I laughed.

"BRIAN!" Roger wailed. "Tell them to stop mocking me please!"

"Yeah, we should stop it. There's nothing wrong with being a dentist." Brian said with a straight face that didn't last too long.

Then Roger started screaming, and Freddie screamed back, and Brian tried to calm them somehow making it worse, and I was just left trying to stay sane.

"So is this how you four normally interact?" Jer asked.

"You're behaving like wild wolves!" Bomi exclaimed.

"Well that's because we're a pack." I declared. Yeah, I wouldn't have it any other way.

***

"So there's not much I can say to prepare you for this." Freddie said as we approached the door to the house that belonged to mother and sister. "It's bound to be very emotional. If you need a shoulder to cry on, you know where to look."

"Yeah, I'll go to Brian." I joked.

Freddie rolled his eyes. "You can't even reach his shoulder." He took my hand. "Seriously, darling. I'm here for you. We're all here for you."

"Thank you, Freddie...for everything." I said sincerely and gave him a hug. Honestly, I was pushing down my feelings while awaiting this moment. On the train ride here I was scarily calm almost in a state of denial. Now all the emotions were bubbling back up again. I knew what had happened to Dad as I asked Freddie to tell me the truth before we made this trip. I still hadn't come to terms with it. I would just be seeing Mom and Julie. Dad wouldn't be there. He went out searching for me in the outskirts all those years ago and he never came back...He was never coming back.

"Freddie, do you think they'll blame me?" I wondered.

"No, darling! It was not your fucking fault and I never won't to hear those words ever again. You were a child. They'd never blame you ever. They love you, John. They love you unconditionally. Seeing you again after all these years is going to be a rollercoaster, but they'll be happy. They've prayed for this moment. I know Mrs. Deacon lights a candle for you each and every night begging God to someday help guide you home. When I told her you were alive...Oh darling, this is going to be the greatest gift anyone has ever given her."

"She'll probably let you call her Lilian by now." I sniffled. "You're her son too you know. You seem to know her better than I do."

"I'm not so sure about that. Now let's go see her and Julie. I'm not putting off this reunion any longer." Freddie urged. "We'll cry, but there's not a doubt in my mind that it won't go well."

"Will you be here with me?" I squeezed his hand a bit harder.

"Always, darling. You know that."

With a deep breath I reached to knock on the door. Then I paused. This was going to be a shock for all of us. What if they didn't recognize me? "A-Are they expecting us?"

"Stop stalling, darling!" Freddie cried and knocked on the door to a very familiar beat. I was too riddled with nerves to recognize it. "What song is that?"

Freddie looked at me and laughed. "Oh shit! You're serious? Darling, you must be scared out of your damn mind to not recognize your own riff! Relax, dear. Everything will be fine. I promise."

"Was that Another One Bites the Dust?" I heard a muffled voice from behind the door. A woman answered it. She had greying kinky hair and wore thick glasses. I instantly recognized her and choked on a sob. "Mom?" I whispered. She nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."

"JOHN!" A girl jumped in front of me also with tears spilling in her eyes and wrapped her arms around me. It was Julie, only she was no longer a baby. Instead she was a beautiful young woman with my grey green eyes and floofy hair. "It's really you! It's really you!" She squealed. 

"Hi Jules." My voice quivered as  I was so close to completely breaking down. 

"Oh, look at you, sweetheart! You're the spitting image of Arthur. If only he could see you. He'd be so proud of how you've grown. You've become a man, and you've done it all on your own. My poor baby out there in the cold all by himself."

Freddie cleared his throat. "Without his family." She rephrased. "Oh, John! John! My boy, my baby! I'm never letting you go!" 

"I-I missed you." That was it, those were the words that killed me. I broke down and bawled becoming a blubbering mess. "I love you." Mom whispered. I was reduced to a whimpering puppy dog, I simply couldn't speak. It was all too much. Normally when I shut down like this, it was the result of a panic attack, but this was more like a joy attack. I never believed I could feel this happy or complete.

"I knew you'd come back! I just knew it!" Julie exclaimed, dancing around happily. "I'm so excited!" 

"I-I..Mom! Julie!" I searched for more words, but they couldn't come. Just a soft squeaking noise escaped my lips, but I was too jubilant to feel embarrassed. 

"I think we've broken him." Freddie remarked, wiping the tears from his own eyes. "That's my squeaky Deaky. Cute and happy as a playful kitten." 

"S-Shut up, Freddie." I managed. 

"And sassy as a kitten too it seems." He quipped. 

"Kittens are sassy?" Julie wondered. "I thought they were just cute." 

"Have you met my cat, Delilah? She was born with sass, that feisty furball. I miss her. Deaky, why didn't we take her here with us again?" 

"Because Phoebe's watching her and you two need to get over your separation anxiety." I reminded him. 

"Yes, well whenever you come and visit Garden Lodge, you'll get to meet all of my cats and see that they have claws despite being so adorable." Freddie invited. "We should throw a giant party with my family and your family, Deaky. The Mays can come too. And Clare and Mrs. Taylor. Won't that be fun? A big celebration all through the night!" 

"I love parties!" Julie applauded. "They say it's safe for us know in the other--I mean Civilization A. Most people here are still to afraid to travel, but I'm sure that'll change soon."

"Why traveling when our John has returned?" Mom gave me another hug. "You've just gotten here, honey. Oh, we have so much to catch up on. I can't believe that you're here! It's been so many years...My baby." 

"M-Mom...Y-You're making me cry again." I sobbed. 

"But they're good tears and that's all that matters." Freddie said, pulling me close. "Here, love, as promised, a shoulder to cry on." 

It was an emotional afternoon to say the least. I recounted everything that had happened to me over the years since I was kidnapped. It turned out the version they heard from Freddie was watered down to spare them from feeling bad. I wasn't mad at Freddie because it really wasn't his place to explain to my family that I had faced abuse most of my life. I heard all about what Mom and Julie had been up to and how they had fled the outskirts and found sanctuary in the magic civilization. All were welcomed even though it was heavily muse populated. Since arriving here, they didn't have to fear for their lives or worry about going hungry. I was so grateful that they had survived. Losing Dad wasn't something I wanted to think about right now. Maybe one day I'd be able to find closure, but I needed more time. Thankfully, it seemed I had all the time in the world. There was no need to be afraid of anything anymore. Magical creatures were free and our rights were protected. I had my family of misfits and my remaining biological family here with me. It was no longer a hard life. 

"Look at that, it's already dark outside." Freddie noted. "Where has the time gone? Come on, Deaky, we've got to get back home. My mama is cooking us supper." 

"No!" Julie blurted. "John, don't leave!" 

"You know Mama will probably have extra chicken because Brian won't eat it. There's probably enough for two more." Freddie decided. "I'm sure my parents won't mind." 

"Yes!" Julie exclaimed as Mom said "No, we don't want to be a bother." 

"You're having supper with us, lovies." Freddie said. I nodded in approval. "Please. It'll be fun." 

"Alright." Mom gave in. "I suppose I don't have the heart to turn you down. As long as your parents are alright with unannounced guests." 

"You're family." Freddie said. "No need to even think twice about it." 

When we returned back to the Bulsara home, my nostrils were greeted with the sweet smell of orange chicken among other spices. "Oh good. You're back. Supper is almost ready! Papa is in his study if you need him." Jer called from the kitchen. "Kashie, dear, can you give that sauce a stir?" 

"Deaky's mother and sister are dining with us." Freddie announced haphazardly on his way to the living room. 

Brian and Roger were cuddled on the couch, flipping through a book. Roger was snickering and Brian was grinning from ear to ear. 

"What are you two up to?" Freddie asked. 

"Nothing." Brian said. "Just looking at your baby pictures." Roger laughed. 

"Ha, ha. That is so funny." Freddie said sarcastically. "Now what's really in that book?"

"It's your baby album, Freddie. Jer said we could look through it." Brian said seriously. 

"Oooh! I wanna see!" I cooed nuzzling myself between the happy couple on the couch so I could see the pictures of baby Freddie. The smiling little baby in the pictures was so cute I couldn't handle it. "Awwwww! You were so, so adorable, Freddie. I just wanna pinch your little baby cheeks!" 

"Well of course, darling. I was the world's cutest baby. No question about it." He declared, looking down at the pictures. "Look at me there! My teeth hadn't grown in yet. No wonder I was smiling." 

I shoved his arm. "You stop that Freddie! Your teeth look great! They're part of what makes you you. And I love you...each and every part of you!" 

"Is there a certain part of me that you love more than others?" Freddie raised his eyebrows. 

"Yeah." I beamed. "You're great big--"

"--DEAKY!"

"--Heart." I finished. 

"Oh." Freddie laughed. "For a moment there I thought you were going to say cock." 

"FREDDIE!" I shrieked, noticing Mom and Julie on the other end of the couch. How embarrassing! 

"You want to know my favorite thing about this photograph?" Freddie asked. 

"Your big bright eyes?" I wondered. They really hadn't changed much. Still a deep rich brown that one could drown in. 

"No, darling. Look at my arm. My soulmark was there even back then. I didn't even know how to read back then. 'I think you're my soulmate.' There it is!" 

"Sweetest sight ever seen." I commented. I took his arm, the words now replaced with my name, and kissed the soulmark, making Freddie flush. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no clue how to finish this chapter, so I'll just leave it like this. Hope you enjoyed the fluff! Thanks for reading!❤️❤️❤️


	33. Caught in a Landslide Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie and Delilah encounter a witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this story. I feel so very blessed! Thank you all and I cannot say that enough. Each and every one of you who leaves such inspirational comments motivates me to continue. I love you so much!!!
> 
> Please enjoy this special 2 parter as an appreciation for all of your support!😘
> 
> So the main story itself has pretty much wrapped up because magical creatures are free now (that's not a spoiler if you've read this far but if you've just skipped to this last chapter, it's your own fault so don't @ me LOL), but I think I'm going to continue and make the rest of this book sort of a hybrid with the one-shots. So the next chapters are going to be the boys' continued adventures over the years. As for the timeline, who knows at this point? Even I lost track a long time ago. It's post Live Aid, but somehow they're in their early-mid 30s? IDK. Keeping Queen relatively young is fun!
> 
> So by request people wanted more human Delilah from the last Christmas one-shot. If you haven't read that check it out because this chapter references it. I'm not a one-trick-pony, so this is slightly different but still similar and also ties in ideas from my other stories. A certain witch from my other story Don't Stop Meow may be making a cameo as well...

_Delilah's POV_

I was snug and content on Freddie's lap as he played the piano. This was just like the good old days when it was just the two of us. I didn't miss the tower or heaven forbid the lab, but I did miss having Freddie all to myself. I purred gently letting him know how happy I was just lazing on a Sunday afternoon with him. Sure, Deaky sat next to us, but he was quiet. The only sound came from the piano and I wanted it to stay that way.

Of course the stillness broke when someone (who had the keys to Garden Lodge) burst into the room, stomping his feet loudly as he walked. I hissed at Roger Taylor, because who else could it be? "Freddie, can you get someone sick for me?" He looked legitimately ready to commit murder. Someone must have really upset him.

"Pardon?" Freddie stopped playing.

"Your magic can cure people, but can you get people sick? Make them suffer?" Roger asked darkly.

"That's fucked up. I would never do that, darling." Freddie said sternly.

I remembered the time he used his magic to poison Tim. Honestly Prenter deserved the very worst of my muse's wrath. Maybe Roger was referring to the demon himself? In that case, I was on board.

Roger clenched his fists. "Fine, then get me a weapon and I'll do it myself."

"Who insulted your car?" Deaky blurted.

"And what would Brian think of you resorting to violence like this?" Freddie reasoned. Yes, my muse was being sensible for once. We should all be peaceful like Brimi.

"Brian tried to stop me, but I locked him in the cupboard." Roger explained. "Bottom line is nobody fucks with Clare. So I need to hunt this hunter down and splatter his blood."

 _'You did what?'_ I shrieked. I jumped down from Freddie's lap. ' _Can Brian get out? Is he trapped in there? You monster!'_

"A hunter harmed Clare?" Freddie cried ignoring what Roger had done to Brian. "Oh no! Is she okay? I'm so sorry, Roger. Tell us what we can do to help. I'll hurt him if I must. This hunter doesn't stand a match against a muse and siren with a thirst for revenge."

"And a shapeshifter." Deaky declared. "If someone hurt Julie, I'd go after them in the middle of the night and make them pay. The same should be done with Clare. We need to let the hunters know that things have changed and they can't go around treating magical creatures worse than dirt."

Just then my savior and badger loving Brian walked in. His poofy hair was slightly flatter than normal. Was that a side effect of being stuffed in a cupboard?  _'Brian! Brian! You're alive!"_ I cooed nuzzling myself against his legs happily.

"Roger Meddows Taylor. You are in so much trouble!" He shouted.

 _'Yeah, you tell him, Bri!'_ I mewled.

"Brian, please don't tell me you're loyal to the hunter bastard who dared to lay a hand on our darling Clare." Freddie scoffed.

"What are you talking about? Who hurt Clare?" Brian questioned.

"This motherfucker she's telling me about!" Roger waved a letter in his hand. "And Brian, I'm sorry about the cupboard, but you kind of deserved it by defending him."

"Of course I'm defending him. The bloke has done nothing wrong and Clare loves him. Do you see no irony in this?  _You're_ the one going around threatening murder and locking your own husband in a cupboard. What is wrong with you?"

"I need context." Deaky said.

 _'I'm on Brian's side.'_ I aligned myself.

"Delilah, you can't say that until you know all the details." Freddie remarked. "What is going on? Is Clare hurt or not?"

"Clare found her soulmate and he's a hunter." Brian announced. "Roger wants to kill him."

"Well yeah I wanna kill him." Roger said bluntly. "That's my baby sister. And he's not just a hunter. Read this letter. Do you know how they met? She got caught in his net. He's a fisherman. Can this get any worse? I need to put an end to this now!"

Freddie examined Clare's letter and Deaky read it over his shoulder. I jumped up onto the piano (even though Freddie hated that) so I could view it as well.

_Hi Roger,_

_I have great news! You won't believe my good luck! I met my soulmate today! Can you believe it? I can't! I'm so excited! I never thought this day would come! His name is Erik and I can't wait for you to meet him. He's very dreamy with dark hair and ocean blue eyes. I love him already. Erik comes from a family of former hunters. They've turned to the fishing industry because they don't believe in harming magical creatures. I guess I should've seen this coming with my soulmark. I'm surprised I didn't realize it sooner. Anyway, I don't want to scare you, but I got caught in his net. I was very freightened of course, but then we locked eyes and he said the words on my back. "Sorry. I was trying to catch fish. Here, I'll let you go." I don't think he realized who I was at first. "Thanks" is such a generic soulmark. He's probably heard "thanks" so many times in his life he doesn't even correlate it with finding his soulmate anymore..._

Roger took the letter away and threw it into the fireplace. "Who does that asshole think he is? Why can't he find some huntress or human? Why does it have to be my sister?"

"Roger, darling, you're being way too overprotective. Erik sounds like quite a catch. I'm sure they'll be happy together. They are soulmates." Freddie said gently.

 _'Yeah.'_ I agreed. ' _He's handsome and can feed her fish every night. What more can you ask for?'_ I licked my lips.  _'Freddie, can we have fish tonight?'_

"No, darling, just normal cat food for you tonight I'm afraid. My family is coming over and Mama is making curry. Cats can't eat that, and Papa doesn't approve of you dining at the table with us either. Do you mind if I put your bowl on the floor with the other cats? It'll only be for tonight, my love."

 _'I hate it when you treat me like an animal.'_ I hissed.

"Delilah, I don't know how else to put this, but you  _are_  an animal. I love you endlessly nonetheless as I'm sure you know, but there are just some things that you have to accept."

 _'Well that's easy for you to say.'_ I complained.

"I mean what is she thinking? Does she want to give her big brother a sheer heart attack or something?" Roger continued to rant. "Why would she go and do something as stupid as throwing her life away so she can go live on land with some fucking hunter?"

"You're not the least bit empathetic?" Brian ventured hiding back a small smirk.

"No! How could I be?" Roger shouted.

"Because you did the exact same thing." Deaky finally pointed out.

"No I didn't...Ohhh. Wait. Yeah I guess I did." He accepted. "But this is different. This Erik jerk is nothing like my sweet Brimi at all. He won't take care of her and protect her and love her. He'll--he'll...I don't even know, but it'll be something awful."

"You don't even know Erik yet. Why don't you meet him before you make these horrendous accusations?" Brian cried.

"Good idea. We should invited him and Clare to our next concert." Freddie suggested. "Speaking of which, I need to call back Miami. He wants us to perform at some sort of charity event."

"Like Live Aid?" Deaky asked.

 _'Can I watch it on TV like Live Aid?'_ I asked.

"No, it'll be on a much smaller scale than that. I doubt it will even be televised, but we could probably bring in lots of crowds. I don't have the details yet. I was going to run it by you three once Miami confirms when and where it is." Freddie explained.

"If it's for charity then we should definitely do our part. We should invite Clare and Erik. I think that's the best place for you to meet him, Roger." Brian said.

"Why is that?"

"Oh because we'll be surrounded by fans and the press and the public." He clarified. "I trust that you know better than to beat him up in front of everyone."

"You underestimate me, Brian." Roger admitted.

"Just don't ruin our stellar reputation, darling. We still have all our fans and lots of allies, but people are quick to criticize us. New laws be damned. Magical creatures are still discriminated. We can't afford to have our image tainted. So you need to be on your best behavior, darling." Freddie warned.

"Why are you only talking to me?" Roger exclaimed.

"Brian, Deaky, do what it is you normally do and you'll be fine." Freddie responded sassily. "There, are you satisfied, Roger?"

"Freddie, you also have a knack for embarrassing yourself at times. It's not just me." Roger insisted.

 _'You leave my muse alone!'_ I hissed.

"Why does Delilah hate me? What did I ever even do to her? The other cats get along fine with me."

"She's just being fussy." Freddie gave me a pet. "Yes, you love our Roggie, don't you, Delilah? You love everyone because you're so lovable yourself. Such a cutiepie!" He knew I couldn't resist when he pet me behind the ears. I fell back asleep on his foot within a few minutes.

***

 _'What's so bad about this, Delilah?'_  Romeo asked as he licked the remaining food from his whiskers.  _'I know Freddie always put your bowl up on the table, but from down here, you have access to all the table scraps. It's great!'_ Oscar nibbled on a crumb that fell from someone's plate.

 _'I'm glad Freddie found his family, but they should respect that I basically raised him for them. I shouldn't be treated like this!'_ I mewled indignantly.

"So I heard Kash is applying to medical school." Freddie said. "She's really smart. I know she'll get in."

"Yes, if she keeps up with her studies. She is a very bright pupil." Bomi replied. "Farrokh, have you considered going into veterinary sciences? You should with all of these cats around."

"Oh could you imagine it. My son, the veterinarian...or better yet, my son the doctor. Both of my children as doctors. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Jer exclaimed.

"I'm a world famous rockstar. Isn't that bloody good enough for you?" Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Yes, we are very proud of you, Freddie, but...well, back home people still aren't embracing music." Jer sighed. "You wouldn't believe the dreadful things they say to us. They think you're nothing more than a hunters' puppet. We know it's not true, of course, but our neighbors and coworkers and everyone in the community have been quite cruel."

"Ah, so I'm the mock of the magic civilization, aren't I?" Freddie cried. "That's how it is. Heaven forbid I'm not a doctor or a lawyer or someone who works in an office. No, I have to embarrass you and be a performer, the one thing muses are denying themselves."

"We're not embarrassed by you, Farrokh, but you must understand. People have been telling us despicable things like how you should have stayed lost and we are awful parents to allow this kind of life for our son." Bomi said.

 _'Then move to a different neighborhood where people are less snarky. Don't take it out on Freddie.'_ I mewled.

"I'm sorry, beta. You're incredible, you really are, but it's very difficult for one man to change the mentality of an entire community. Muses have been living this way for centuries. You can't expect things to change so drastically so quickly."Jer said.

"I want things to change for the better, Mama, and it's not just me who feels that way." Freddie said coldly and abruptly left the table without excusing himself. He paused at the stairwell. "And your judgemental peers ought to know that we're doing another charity event.This one is to help stray cats find loving homes. I'm sure they'll be outraged to hear that your heathen son who doesn't have a mind of his own is using his fame to help cute orphaned kitties. That must be such a burden for you to deal with!"With that he stormed to his room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Deaky who hadn't opened his mouth all night broke the awkward silence that followed. "This is good curry."

"Thank you, John. I was afraid I made it too spicy for you." Jer remarked.

"No, I always sweat when I eat."

 _'Liar!'_ I exposed him.

"You know Stevie Nicks is going to be at the fund raiser too." John announced trying miserably to make small talk.

"Is he a friend of yours." Jer asked.

" _She's_ from Fleetwood Mac."

"Where is that? Is it close by?" Bomi inquired.

"You know what I'm gonna go see if Freddie is alright." Deaky said.  _'I'll go with you.'_ I decided.

"Tell him we're sorry please." Jer requested.

I followed Deaky upstairs. He knocked on the door for me. "Freddie, it's me."

"Go away, darling! I'm wallowing in misery."

"Well when you're done being a drama queen, please come out." Deaky nudged.

"I came out many years ago." Freddie misinterpreted. "Now leave me be, John. Please. Let me brood on my own."

' _I hate it when you're brooding.'_ I mewled.

"Well what am I supposed to tell your parents?" Deaky wondered. "Look you don't need to apologize. In fact your mother says she's sorry, and I think you were in the right, but at least finish dinner. Can we get through this night civilly please?"

"Is Delilah with you, John?" Freddie asked.

' _Yes I'm here.'_ I meowed

Freddie opened the door just quick enough to grab me. Then he shut the door and locked it again.

' _Freddie, your eyes are red.'_ I observed. ' _Are you crying, high, or allergic to me?'_

"Crying." He sniffled. "Come here, love.  Let me pet you. That will make me feel better. It always does."

_'Your parents really are sorry. Deaky wasn't lying."_

"Oh no, my love would never lie to me. I know that. And I know my parents mean well. I just...Well you wouldn't understand."

 _'Try me.'_ I purred.

"After everything I've been through and spending time in the muse civilization...I just...I wish I wasn't a muse." Freddie admitted. "I know it sounds silly."

This was news to me. Sure he had been through hell and back because he was a muse. He once confided in me that sometimes he wished he he'd never been born at all. But Freddie was always a muse at heart from what I could tell even though it's a hard life as one. ' _How long have you felt this way?'_

"Ever since I found my family. I love them of course, but I don't feel like I belong. My whole life I've been tormented for being a muse and fought my way to the top to show the world what a poor lost muse boy is capable of. Now I've finally met people like me and they're telling me it's wrong to embrace my true self. They won't accept me because I've been doing this whole muse thing wrong all along."

_'You were never one to give a damn about the opinions of others. I've always admired about you, Freddie.'_

"I don't care...or rather I try not to. It's just all so confusing when on the one hand people see me as nothing more than an object like a music box that can be overplayed and abused and then my fellow muses believe I'm being manipulated to sing and brainwashed by hunters. All I want to do is sing. Why is it so difficult? Critics are one thing, but I'm facing discrimination for being a muse which I'm used to by now. But now I'm also getting rejected by my own kind for singing. It's a double edged sword I tell you."

 _'People suck.'_ I summed up.

"No, don't say that, darling. There's plenty of good people out there. Not everyone's an asshole even though it seems that way at times. Look at Deaky. He's my favorite thing in the world. Of course I don't want to worry him with all this foolishness of mine. It'll only bring him down. Bottom line is I'm a muse whether I like it or not and I need to make the most of it and do what makes me happy. Singing is what makes me happy and it also brings joy to many others so I'll stick with it. All I have to do now is swallow my pride and get through the rest of the evening without breaking down again. You're really easy to talk to, Delilah. Have you ever considered becoming a therapist? You really should."

_'I can't I'm a cat.'_

"Well you shouldn't let what you are stop you from following your heart.Learn from my example, darling. Don't let anything get in your way."

_'It's different Freddie. If you think being a muse is tough, then you really haven't got a clue. I bet you wouldn't last one day in my shoes.'_

"Don't be silly, Delilah. You don't even wear shoes. You're a cat."

 _'Hypocrite.'_ I hissed as Freddie went back downstairs.

Of course I learned my lesson from Gigi the Genie. Being human was annoying and not very fun. Still though it would be nice if Freddie understood what I had to go through as a cat. That might put things in perspective for him. He exaggerated a lot. I doubted his woes were that troubling. I bet I could deal with them easily if I were him. Maybe that was why Freddie always turned to me for advice.

*******

_Freddie's POV_

"No, Delilah. I love you dearly, but you have to stay home." I said sternly. As much as I wanted to bring her along to the event, I knew it was best for her not to come. Even though the show was being held in a park there was a chance Delilah could get hurt or lost. I also feared she might be mistaken for one of the strays up for adoption.

A charity concert was no place for a cat but Delilah refused to unlatch herself from my shoulder. "Please, lovie, you're making this more difficult than it has to be. I'll be back tonight in time to watch the Bachelor with you. I promise. And Mary will take good care of you while I'm gone."

_'No Freddie you can't go! My whiskers are twitching and that means something bad is going to happen.'_

"Freddie, just bring her with us. We'll be late otherwise. I for one am sick of being told off by Brian and Roger for being late all the time because of you. Even though you're practically flawless in every area outside of punctuality your constant tardiness still gets on my nerves."

 _'Are you two in a fight?'_ Delilah asked temporarily distracted. Were we in a fight?I didn't think so. I loved my Deaky. He was just getting anxious because we were running late as usual. I shook my head and sang up a collar for Delilah. "You can come with me darling, but you have to stay close and make sure that collar stays on you in case you get lost."

I opened the door to the limo and gestured for Deaky to enter. "After you, my love."

Brian and Roger were already in the backseat. "Took you long enough." Roger said. Terry unrolled the glass and handed us two stage passes. You'd think as the performers and superstars we'd be recognizable by security teams but you'd be surprised. The passes also ensured our safety from intruders trying to dress up as us. Most were harmless fans trying to sneak in and meet us but you can never be too careful. Delilah pawed at the lanyard around my neck holding up the pass.

"You brought Delilah." Brian noted.

_'I'm here to protect you in case something bad happens...Did you see that? My whiskers twitched again. Aren't you glad I'm here.'_

"She'll be a good girl." I assured everyone.

"I hope she scratches and bites Erik." Roger laughed evilly.

"I'm sure he's a nice chap." Brian said. "We can't really help who our soulmates are now can we?"

While the conversation was taking this turn I viewed it as an opportunity to mend whatever "fight" I had going on with Deaky. "Well I certainly can't complain for a second. I got more than I could ever ask for out of the soulmate system."

"What did you get out of it?...Oh wait. You're talking about me." John blushed.

"Of course I am, darling. You're my whole world, my love." I took his hand and brought it to my lips, nearly melting at Deaky's cute smile in return. No, no fight here. Delilah was wrong.

Terry pulled up behind the stage set up in Civilization Square Park. Some members of the press arrived, but for the most part it was a quiet day with people walking their dogs and enjoying their time in nature. Tents and booths were being set up. Of course my eyes rested upon the large playpen full of the most adorable cats. "I want to adopt all of them!" I squealed.

"Well the goal is to have them all adopted by the end of the day." Stevie Nicks greeted us. "Hi boys! I'm so glad Queen agreed to do this. Not too many people care about the well being of stray cats. Plus it's such an honor to be joining you as one of the acts. I'm a fan."

"Wow! Stevie Nicks! You're awesome!" Roger exclaimed. "Have you ever considered collaborating with us? I think we could have a song called Caught in a Landslide...Get it 'cause the lyric from Bohemian Rhapsody and your song Landslide."

"We're also fans of you and Fleetwood Mac!" Brian said."It's wonderful to meet you."

"And I'm also a fan of your dress, darling. It's quite lovely." She was wearing a black spaghetti strap with a sparkly skirt.

"Why thank you, Freddie. You have a great sense of fashion, so it's a high honor to be recognized by you. Sound check is in about 30 minutes. Keep those stage passes on and feel free to walk around while we're setting everything up."

"Stay close, Delilah." I urged as we strolled through the park. I was trying to make my way over to the cats, but the others got distracted. Radio booths were being set up along with stations with prize booths and raffle tickets. It was all for the cause of course, pay one dollar to the charity to help the cats, and you can win...A t-shirt, an umbrella, or a bag. Those were dull prizes. I spotted my friend Kenny Everett at one of the radio booths talking to Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles.

"...I mean ever since Live Aid it seems like magical creatures have really been making their mark in the music industry openly and freely." Susanna told the audience. "I'm just so blessed to be able to embrace my true self and perform as a confident witch alongside the other witches in my band and of course Stevie Nicks, the best of them all. But it's not just witches. I've never met Queen before, but they'll be here today. Freddie Mercury is such an icon and Brian, Roger, and John are all so talented as well. It's a great honor to be here."

The Bangles were up and coming, but they had a lot of potential. We were still looking for opening acts in our upcoming Wembley Tour. If Susanna flattered us anymore, I might invite her and her band for a gig. I'd talk it over with the boys later. For now, I was about to give Susanna the surprise of a lifetime...

"AY-OH!"

"Ohmygod! Freddie fucking Mercury--Sorry. Can't curse on the radio, can I?"

"It's live, honey, nothing we can do about it." Kenny laughed. "How are you doing, Fred. Long time no see."

_Delilah's POV_

My whiskers continued to twitch. That had to mean something. Whenever they wiggled involuntarily something bad usually followed. I had to warn Freddie.

 _'Freddie, my whiskers are twitching.'_ His pants were so tight that I couldn't even bite one of the pantlegs to get his attention.

"And speaking of cats, does this little cutie belong to you, Freddie?" Kenny Everett lowered his microphone so it would pick up my meows.

Freddie smiled and it looked like I finally had his attention. "This is my pride and joy, Delilah. Isn't she adorable?"

_'Yes, yes everyone knows I'm the cutest one here, now listen to me. My whiskers are twitching. We need to get to the bottom of this!'_

"What's it like being the pet of a legend?" Kenny asked putting the microphone in front of me.

_'I wouldn't know you'd have to ask Freddie.'_

"Oh hush darling. You don't know what you're saying." Freddie laughed.

"And her answer was meow, meow, meow. Everyone got that?" Kenny announced.

Well it was clear I wasn't being taken seriously here.  _'If something bad happens, it's not my fault.'_ I hissed and walked away with a wiggle of my tail.

"Don't wander too far, Delilah." Freddie called.

Maybe there was a yummy snack to eat around here. I looked around and spotted a delicious little birdie in the tree. I licked my lips and ascended onto the lowest branch to make my way up. My collar got stuck on one of the branches. I tugged trying to free myself, accidentally slipping out of of the collar in the process. Oh well. I didn't need the stupid collar anyway. The commotion made the bird fly away. Damn it! ' _Was this what you were trying to tell me, whiskers?'_ I cried. With an angered humph, I jumped down from the tree. Hopefully Freddie was done talking with Kenny and that girl. I glanced back in that direction. Nope, no such luck. In fact, Deaky had joined them in the interview. Where were Brian and Roger?

"Hello, little cat?" A man approached me. "How'd you get out?"

 _'Help! Stranger danger!'_ I screamed.

"Let's get you back with the others so you don't get lost or hurt." He picked me up, ignoring my hisses and yells to put me down. Who was this asshole? There was no way he'd get away with catnapping me.

"Here you are. Right back with your friends. Don't worry. We'll have you a loving home by the end of the day." He placed me down in the fenced off area with the other cats. Wait a minute. Shit! My collar was gone. That was why Freddie told me not to lose it. So some idiot like this guy wouldn't mistake me for a stray.

 _'No!'_ I mewled as he walked away.  _'You're making a mistake! I'm not stray. I have a home already.'_ The fence was too high for me to jump. The human leaving me in here was my only hope of getting out. ' _You're making a big mistake! I'm not just any dumb cat you know. My muse is going to kill you when he finds out that you put me here!'_

 _'Hi I'm Fluffy.'_ A cat introduced herself. ' _They call me that cause I'm fluffy.'_

 _'You don't say.'_ I responded sarcastically.

A fresh scent caught my attention. Was that....hunter? Oh thank goodness! Brimi was here to save the day! No wait. It wasn't Brian. This hunter smelled more like fish. I liked fish.

A handsome man with short but feathery dark hair and striking blue eyes approached the fence. Well, I was hooked.  _'Hello there.'_ I purred. Perhaps my bad luck was about to turn around.

_Freddie's POV_

"And now Sammy is Robert Plant in the Civilization's #1 Led Zeppelin cover band. He even got a chance to meet the real Robert Plant. He really spread his wings." Deaky concluded.

"That's such an inspirational story and a brilliant song you wrote about your friend as well." Kenny said. "So, Freddie, are you more bias towards John's songs since he's your husband?"

Delilah was no longer within eye view. Where was she? I knew this would happen. Why did I bring her here? She should be at home cuddling with the other cats and Mary.

"Freddie?"

"I'm sorry. I have to go find Delilah." I blurted. I ran off in search of my cat without offering any further explanation or apology. "Delilah!" I called, praying she didn't get far. "Delilah, please!"

"Hi Freddie!" Clare called to me as I sprinted through the park looking around for my precious kitty.

"Hello, Clare. Can't talk. I'm trying to find---Delilah!" I gasped. Delilah was curled up on the lap of a good looking stranger seated on a bench next to Clare. Most notedly, her collar was missing. What was that naughty girl up to? I was too relieved that she was alright to be mad at her mischief.

"This is my soulmate and boyfriend, Erik Prince. We're adopting a cat together. This sweet little princess looks a lot like your cat Delilah don't you think?" Clare remarked.

 _'If a Prince adopts me, I'll be a princess.'_ Delilah purred.

"No one is adopting you, lovie, you belong to me." I said snatching her off of Erik's lap. "I believe there's been a mix-up. This _is_ Delilah."

"Huh. You should really get a collar on her and keep a better eye on her." Erik said. His smile was no longer charming when he insulted my parenting skills. "I can see why Roger hates you." I stated.

 _'How can anyone hate him? He's perfect.'_ Delilah mewled. "What is it with you and hunters?" I sighed.

"Where is Roggie?" Clare asked. "I've been dying to introduce him to Erik. Despite what you may think, I believe they'll get along well."

"Um...I don't know." I looked around. Brian was always easy to spot because of the height and hair but I couldn't see him. There was no sign of him or his siren soulmate. "Roger and Brian have pretty much disappeared. I've got a lot on my plate between the performance and watching Delilah. I can't be responsible for their antics as well. I'm sure they'll turn up. All I can tell you is good luck when facing Roger."

"Well I just want to say I loved you at Live Aid. You stole the show by far and that was so impressive considering the stellar competition that you overshadowed. I'm looking forward to seeing you live for the first time later." Erik shook my hand.

 _'Isn't he a sweetheart!'_  Delilah purred.  _'Are you sure he can't adopt me, Freddie?'_

"Delilah, you promised you'd behave yourself. This is ridiculous!" I cried. "How did you lose your collar anyway?" I sang her a new one so she wouldn't be mistaken for a stray again. "No more causing trouble, alright, darling. I love you, but you're driving me mad."

 _'I don't mean to cause trouble. It's not my fault.'_ Delilah stared up at me with those big sad eyes. "I know, darling." I gave in and pet her gently. "You're my little angel." That was exactly what she wanted me to believe, but I was a sucker for those cute looks.

As I made my way back to the stage for sound check, a woman running another tent stepped in front of me blocking my way. She had long hair with streaks of grey and her face showed signs of wrinkles. Before I could say anything Delilah hissed. ' _You're the reason my whiskers have been twitching! I remember you from a past life.'_

"Oh my! What a cute cat you've got there!" She cooed. "I love cats. They're my favorite."

"Mine too." I said, remaining slightly weary because of Delilah's warning. "Can I help you, darling? Would you like an autograph or something?"

Her eyes narrowed skeptically. She looked at the stage pass dangling from my neck. "Are you famous?"

"Are you serious?" I retorted.

"I don't get out much." She responded. "I'm not familiar with anyone's name on the roster, but I heard there were going to be fellow witches and cats and it's a great cause so I decided to join. I'm selling my special tea at this booth. The money of course goes to the charity. Would you be interested by any chance?"

 _'Say no!'_ Delilah screamed. _'Fuck off, you witch bitch! You're not hurting Freddie again!'_

"Again?" I questioned. What did this woman do to me in a past life? More importantly what did she want now?

"Oh my goodness! You understand cat!" The witch gasped. "That's amazing! What's she saying?"

"She thinks you're a delightful woman." I lied.

 _'What? No! I did not say that at all! Freddie, get the hell away from her now. She is evil! Whatever you do, don't drink her tea.'_ Delilah warned.

"You're a muse?" The witch asked out of the blue. Oh boy! Here we go. I was free now and as a fellow magical creature she shouldn't hold it against me. "Does it matter?" I responded.

"Your scent is murky..." She leaned in closer to smell me. "...shapeshifter?"

' _Stop sniffing him, you nosy bitch!'_ I rolled my eyes at Delilah's hypocrisy.

"My husband is a shapeshifter." I clarified. "Our scents are merged because we're soulmates."

"Ahh." The witch understood. "Well regardless of your soulmate, you must have quite a voice as a muse."

"You can say that." I replied. What did she want from me? Well I wasn't sticking around to find out. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go to sound check. I'll be performing with my band later today if you want to hear me."

"Well, here. Take one." She handed me a capped bottle of bubbling tea. "It's on the house."

 _'Freddie, don't you dare!'_ Delilah hissed.

"Thank you very much, darling. That's very kind of you, but I'd rather not. It's nothing personal. I'm just very critical of the things I eat and drink before I go on stage." I'd gone on stage drunk many times, but this woman didn't have to know that.

"Are you sure? Tea is good for the throat. Might bring you good luck." She pushed.

"Delilah is my good luck charm. I don't need anything else." I handed the bottle back to her. Like my wise cat I did not trust this witch.

She had the audacity to chase after me. "One sip won't kill you!" She called after me waving the bottle in the air as she ran. This crazy bitch was trying to poison me! I picked up my pace. "Hurry, Delilah! If we can get backstage we'll be safe because she doesn't have a pass!"

I was running so fast that I didn't realize I collided with someone. "Oof!" I fell to the ground. "I'm so sorry, darl--Oh no! No! I'm extra, extra sorry that it was you I knocked into, my love." I pulled Deaky into a hug and helped us both back up to our feet.

"No harm done." John dusted himself off. "Are you okay, Freddie?"

"Finally!" The witch exclaimed as she caught up with me. "You know in coven culture it's a sin to reject the gift of a witch." She forced the bottle back into my hands. Delilah went ballistic.  "Easy, Delilah." I whispered trying to calm the cat down.

"What's going on?" Deaky asked.

"Teach your muse some manners." The witch scoffed. "He offended me."

"Excuse me? Did you just refer to Freddie as my muse?" Deaky cried. "It seems you're not the only one who's offended, miss...um...sorry, I don't know your name."

Defending my honor while still being adorably polite. My goodness I loved this man so much. I took John's hand. "I am  _your_ muse." I whispered. "But only you can call me that." Deaky blushed.

"My name is Vivianna." The witch announced.

 _'I knew it!'_ Delilah hissed. ' _Freddie, this mad woman tried to eat you in a past life! She's sick! You don't remember her, but I do.'_

"Just leave me alone." I told the witch. "I don't want any trouble."

"All will be forgiven if you drink my tea."

"Well, what's in it?" Deaky took the bottle and examined it.

"You know the usual recipe. Sugar, spice, everything nice and some jalapeño peppers." Vivianna stated.

"What kind of fucking tea is that?" I cried.

 _'If she said Chemical X instead of the peppers, you would've become a Powerpuff Girl.'_ Delilah announced.

"Freddie, you don't want to piss off a witch. She could place a hex on you. I think you should just risk it and drink the tea." John advised. "Your tea is regulated by civilization objective consumption safety standards, correct, Vivianna?"

"Of course it is." Vivianna assured me. "It's safe. You have nothing to fear, Freddie. If you drink the tea, I won't harm you because you will be forgiven for rejecting my gift."

 _'She's lying. Don't do it, Freddie.'_ Delilah warned. ' _If you drink it, you'll turn into a cat.'_

Why would she ever want to turn me into a cat? That was ridiculous. Although I was mildly curious. It could be fun to be a cat for a little while and forget all my troubles. Assuming the side effects of this tea would ware off eventually, I might as well give it a shot. Vivianna could curse me otherwise and witches were rather notorious for their horrendous curses. I shuddered at the memory of cursed souls being ushered into the lab to have me sing to reverse it.

"To forgiveness." I held up the bottle.

 _'FREDDIE, NOOO!!!'_  Delilah jumped up onto my shoulder as I put the bottle to my lips. She clawed me as the lukewarm liquid traveled down my throat. "OW!" Some, but not all of the tea spluttered out of my mouth. I put my hand to my sore cheek where Delilah had scratched. There was blood on my fingers. It was a deep cut, one that would take a lot of energy for me to heal with my magic. There wouldn't be enough time to recover before our set, but the show must go on. My best option would be to let the wound heal naturally and not use any magic. I'd sung through much worse pain than this before.

"Teaky, darling...get me a...a....Live Aid." I slurred. That came out wrong. What I meant to say was ' _Deaky, darling, get me a bandaid.'_ Just how much blood was I losing? Or maybe it was the "tea" messing with my mind. A sudden dizziness overcame me and I passed out. The last thing I saw was Delilah collapsing onto the grass beside me.

_Delilah's POV_

Vivianna was a good for nothing witch bitch in the previous life we had encountered her as well as in this one. I did what I had to do to save Freddie even if I hurt him. He'd thank me later. Getting a slash on his cheek was better than ending up in Vivianna's kitten pot pie.

I groaned as I returned to consciousness. I still didn't understand why I had blacked out after clawing Freddie. Did some of her tea (or should I say potion) seep into my paws or something?

"Yeah, they arrested her for unauthorized and fraudulent use of a magic potion." Someone spoke. Was that Deaky? Something seemed off about my hearing. Sounds were softer and less precise. "I really thought it was tea." The Deaky voice cried. "I'm so stupid! Freddie could be seriously hurt because of me. Why did I trust her?"

"It's not your fault, John. How were you to suspect that Vivianna was a criminal?" That definitely sounded like Brian. "According to this book on witches' potions, whatever the potion is doing to Freddie should ware off in 24 hours if he had less than 5 ounces of it. Any more than that, then....well there's no saying how long it could last. It could even be permanent."

"Well I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank God for Delilah." Someone who sounded like Roger said. "Didn't you say she made Freddie spit most of it out when she scratched him? That might have saved his life."

Yup, I was the hero of this story. I saved Freddie's life. And now Vivianna was behind bars where she belonged. That witch wouldn't be harming any more cats or people.

"I just wonder why Delilah's also being effected. She shouldn't be unconscious like Freddie when she didn't drink any of the potion." Brian pondered. "Do you think the scratch created a chain of unintended consequences that will impact them both? Magic can be very fickle."

As long as Freddie was still a muse and not a cat, I did my job. Consequences be damned! I rescued Freddie and I should be rewarded. Maybe I could have one of Erik's delicious fish.

I opened my eyes and knew something was wrong. It was deja vu of when Gigi made me human. My vision was vibrant and crisp with contrasting colors standing out much more than before as I took in every detail of Brian, Roger and Deaky standing over me sharing concerned expressions. I held up two furless hands rather than paws in confirmation. "Fuck! I'm back to human."

Or was I?I had a real voice now that didn't just meow but it wasn't my own altered voice. These borrowed vocal chords created a smooth, posh, and masculine speaking voice. ****

Shit! This couldn't be happening! I looked down at the sleeveless Flash shirt this foreign body was wearingaccompanied by pants so tight that I could barely sit up. Seriously, how could anybody move in something this constricting squeezing their legs? Well I had my answer of who could of course, but I wasn't willing to accept it. This wasn't me. I couldn't be Freddie. I was dreaming or in a kitty coma or something. Besides, if I was here, then where was the real muse?

"They're okay!" Deaky applauded.

 _They?_ Who else was he referring to? It was only me and... The little cat next to me was looking around in wonder. I stared down at myself like it was a mirror and screamed. Vivianna, what the hell did you do to us?

_Freddie's POV_

I was tripping. How else could I be having this literal out of body experience? It had to be drugs. What could have been in that tea? Delilah was right not to have me drink it.

Now to find out what the hell was going on and how I could be staring directly up at my own face. Yet everything was out of scale, bigger than before like I had gotten smaller. ****

The larger imposter in what appeared to be my body screamed. I cringed. Was my voice always that shrilly or was it the person hijacking my vocal chords? I wanted it to be the latter, but that meant a sore throat for me when I reclaimed my body. Using my magic to heal a sore throat was always so difficult because I had to push myself to sing. Wait a minute...What did this mean for my magic?Was this stranger possessing me capable of what I could do? Was I even still a muse? If that was my body then where or rather _who_  was I?

"Trying to give me a run for my money, huh, Mercury?" Roger laughed in response to the imposter's scream. He patted "my" shoulder. "You'll be alright, Fred. Brian says that whatever the potion did will go away in 24 hours. I wish Erik would go away in 24 hours but that's a different issue entirely."

 _'Roger, you bloody idiot!'_ I exclaimed. ' _Forget about Erik. We've got more important things on our plate. That's not me you're talking to. I'm...'_ Why was I meowing? Where was my voice? Fuck! Delilah warned that the tea would turn me into a cat. She didn't tell me that while I was busy being a feline, someone else would be residing in my body.Otherwise I might not have minded being a cat for a day. However I couldn't have a stranger parading around in my body making me look like a fool. Only I was allowed to embarrass myself.

"Are you okay, Freddie?" Even my Deaky addressed the imposter and ignored me.

I walked on all fours, adjusting to the feeling of paws instead of hands and feet.  _'John, darling, I'm here, lovie.'_ I mewled nudging his leg.

"Delilah, not now. We need to make sure Freddie's alright. You seem fine, sweetheart." He dismissed.

Delilah? My doppelgänger gave me a look screaming with sass as if it say "look what I have to deal with". Ahh, so now I knew who was pretending to be me. We must have somehow switched bodies.

I tried to regroup and not panic. Worse things could happen right?Oh who was I kidding. This was a bloody disaster. Not only that, it was a disaster of my own wrong doing. I only have myself to blame. What were we going to do?

 


	34. Caught in a Landslide Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie and Delilah have switched bodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation from last chapter....

_Delilah's POV_

"Y-Yeah I'm fine." I lied. The three appeared unconvinced. "My darling dears." I blurted. Yeah, that was something Freddie would say.

 _'I don't sound like that, darling.'_ Freddie disapproved.  _'You're slurring your words, dear. I have extra teeth in my mouth as you know. Don't let it show!'_ Well I was the one with the voice so it would have to do for now. "Brian, my love." I reached for his hand and pulled myself up on these two skinny legs relying on Brian for balance. "So how long did you say this would last again? 24 hours? How long is that?"

"Freddie, I don't think you're well." Brian said.

 _'24 hours is a full day.'_ Freddie clarified.  _'We just have to get through the day. I can do it easily. It's you I'm worried about, darling.'_

"Me?" I cried. "Why would you be worried about me? You don't think I can do this! I've been your best friend for all the years we've known each other. I know everything there is to know about you. I've got this. If anything you're the one not up for the challenge."

 _'Oh good. You can understand me. For a second I thought we lost that connection and I wouldn't be able to speak to anyone. Now I need you to explain what's going on to the others. They're all looking at us like we're bonkers and I don't blame them. And please let go of Brian's hand before Roger gives you a black eye.'_ Freddie ordered.

I rolled my eyes. Why was he always the one in charge? I might use this an opportunity to change that. "You know I don't have to listen to you. I can do whatever I want. I'm Freddie fucking Mercury after all."

_'No you are most certainly not! Keep up that attitude and you can forget about that new toy I promised you.'_

"I think Delilah is right to worry about you, Freddie. The potion is making you loopy." Brian observed.

"You think I'm loopy?" I beamed. "Oh thank you. You're mighty loopy yourself." Getting complimented by Brian was the best thing ever. Granted, I had no clue what the word loopy meant but it sure sounded nice.

Wait a minute now that I had a muse voice I could finally serenade Brian. I had the perfect song in mind too. It was literally written for him. Okay, maybe not, but it sounded like it was...

_"There comes a day_

_When I'll be the one, you'll see..."_ I crooned.

_"It's gonna gonna gonna gonna_

_It's gonna be May!"_

"Freddie, why are you singing Backstreet Boys to me? You really are unwell." Brian remarked.

"Don't be ridiculous. I would never sing Backstreet Boys to you. Who do you take me for?" I snorted. "That was NSYNC. Big difference."

"Yeah well whatever boy band it was cut it out." Roger cried. "You're a rockstar not some teenage punk. Do you think you're competent enough to perform  _our_  songs later?"

"Oh yeah. I'm gonna have to do that, aren't I?" I groaned. "Well, how hard could it be? Just sing some songs, dance around, and push the buttons on the piano. I've got the muse voice. Should be easy enough." I'd seen Freddie perform so many times. I had to get the knack of it eventually.

 _'Oh dear God my reputation is ruined!'_ Freddie wailed.

"Oh please. Have more faith in me. I may even better than you." I exclaimed.

 _'You're officially grounded!'_ Freddie declared.

"Good luck with that." I snickered. "Ground me and you'd be grounding yourself."

_'Delilah, I mean it! You are in a lot of trouble.'_

"Be a good girl, Delilah." I mocked. "You promised you'd be on your best behavior." This was fun! 

"What's wrong with Delilah?" Roger inquired. "She seems more aggressive than usual."

"Like you ever cared." I snarked.

"Well something's agitating her, Freddie. This isn't like you not to care." Brian crouched down to inspect the cat. "What's the matter, little one? Is it from the potion? You and Freddie sure are acting strange because of it."

 _'Delilah, tell them that we're in the wrong bodies. It's up to you, darling. They won't understand me.'_ Freddie pleaded.

Well they'd probably figure it out eventually, and as fun as it was to tease Freddie, I didn't actually want to upset him. He was my best friend. "I have an announcement to make....darlings." I earned the band's attention and by adding darlings at the end of my sentence, they didn't question it. I could pull this off, but it was best I listened to Freddie and tell them the truth. "I'm not--"

"--Queen, it's your turn for soundcheck. We need you on stage." A man called.

"Soundcheck? Is that where you check the sounds?" I wondered. That would be the most straightforward explanation.

"He's not feeling himself today." Brian answered for me. "We'll be right there."

"Don't keep us waiting. We're on a tight schedule." The man said. "Rude!" I called after him. "Don't worry, boys. We don't need to rush. I don't take orders from anyone. I'm Freddie fucking Mercury!" I giggled.

_'Please stop saying that, darling. You're not me.'_

"Well you're not me either." I replied. "Now teach me how to soundcheck."

"Alright. That's it. We're canceling our set on account of our frontman going slightly mad." Brian decided.

 _'Brian, no! We can't. We never cancel shows, especially not on such short notice. Think of all the people we'll be letting down.'_ Freddie cried. The stubborn muse cat was right. The show must go on.

"I can do it!" I assured them. "I'll make you proud, Fr--I mean Delilah. Let's do this! Rock and roll, bitches!"

"As long as you're okay, Freddie." Deaky said.

"And as long as you're sane." Roger added.

"I'm better than okay and sane! Plus I have Brimi here with me!" I gave Brian a hug before rushing onto the stage, nearly tripping in the process. It was hard to move on two legs but I was managing.

The audience was pathetic. There were barely any people. Just a handful. "Where is everyone?" I asked. I spotted Erik and waved eagerly, blowing him a kiss.

"This is just soundcheck, Fred. Take it easy, alright?" Brian said as he tuned his red special. "I don't know what the potion did to you, but just pull yourself together."

"Where is the broken microphone?" I called out to the stagehands. I looked to the wings and caught Freddie shaking his head. "I've got this!" I assured him. "I won't let you down. I'll make you look good." I would get this right for Freddie.

"Here you are, Mr. Mercury just as you requested." Someone handed me the microphone ripped from the stand. "Thank you, dear."

"Ready Freddie?" Roger called and struck a beat on his drum.

Nope, I wasn't ready. I looked to the real Freddie as Brian and Deaky began to play. What was I supposed to do? What song was this?

 _'Sing it, Delilah! Sing it loud!'_ Freddie screamed.

 _'Make him look good.'_  I told myself. Freddie deserved to shine. I'd just have to be the one to make it happen. Here goes nothing...

_"So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to die?_

_Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby!_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!"_

Whoa! Did I just do that? These pipes were amazing! I turned back to the others who had stopped playing their instruments. "Why'd you stop? We were doing great!"

"That was the wrong song, Freddie." Brian said.

"Yeah, but didn't you hear me? I was fucking awesome! How did I do that?" I exclaimed.

"The same way you always manage to blow us all away." John stated.

"Looks like your muse is broken." One of the men backstage chuckled. He walked right by me casually adjusting the boombox. "Typical that you're so dumb you can't even sing the right song." He remarked.

"What the fuck did you just say?" I snarled.

"Ah c'mon we all know it's true." He said in a voice low enough so that only I could hear it. "Powerful voices, but not much brain power. Your hunter needs to do a better job training you."

I didn't have to put up with this and neither did Freddie. Magical creatures were free now. This kind of harassment shouldn't be tolerated. "You son of a bitch!" I hissed and slashed his face with my fingernails. They weren't as useful as claws. I barely even left a scratch.

"HELP I'M BEING HARASSED!" The man screamed.

"You started it!" I shouted.

"I miss the good old days when you were in cages where you belonged!" He declared making sure everyone could hear.

Brian and Roger had to hold me back to keep me from attack him again. This was ridiculous. "I'm telling you magical creatures are animals! Look at how they behave. They never should have been freed." He shouted as he walked away unscathed.

"Y-You're letting him get away with this?" I cried. "Did you hear what he said to me?"

"He's a pathetic wanker. We'll get him fired." Roger assured me. "But he's not even worth the effort."

"Freddie, he was trying to incentivize you. He wanted to cause a scene. You took his bait." Brian said. "You have to be the bigger man in these situations. Hopefully, he won't press charges."

"He could have hurt you." Deaky rushed over and gave me a hug. "Are you alright?"

"How about we take five?" Brian suggested.

I sighed and plopped down on the piano bench.  "I thought we didn't have to deal with this shit anymore. Everyone loves magical creatures now. No more cages. No more labs."

"There will always be those assholes out there with hatred in their hearts. People don't change over night." Deaky sat down next to me and rested his head on my shoulder. "Is that why you've been acting so distant lately, love? You've still had these kinds of encounters even though we're free."

"Maybe." I didn't know why Freddie had been distant with Deaky these past few weeks, but I was aware of it.

"It's alright. We just need to get through it together. You shouldn't have to deal with it alone. I wanna hear about these things from now on. We're a team remember?"

Freddie curled himself by our feet.  _'Tell him I'm sorry.'_

"I'm sorry." I murmured softly.

_'I just didn't want to scare him or worry him.'_

"I just don't want to scare or worry you." I parroted.

"You won't. You could never. We'll face these things together. You know you can tell me anything." John kissed me gently. "Is there anything else on your mind, love?"

"I-I'm not meant to be a muse." I sighed.

 _'No shit.'_ Freddie mewled.

"You're not meant to be anyone or anything but yourself and I love you wholeheartedly for how independent minded you are. So don't let anyone stop you, okay? Not your parents, or prejudice jerks, or anyone else. Keep doing exactly what you're doing. You're not letting anyone down. I promise. We all love you."

 _'Tell him I don't deserve him.'_ The cat whimpered. I pet him soothingly. "You deserve everything." I whispered.

"Are you talking to me or Delilah?" Deaky laughed.

"I'm not who you think I am." I couldn't lie to Freddie's soulmate. "I'm not Freddie. I can't be him. No one can."

"What are you talking about?" John asked.

I picked up Freddie and put him on my lap. _'Go on, darling. Tell him the truth.'_ He prompted.  _'Deaky needs to know. Do it for me.'_

"Freddie's here. I'm Delilah. The potion made us switch bodies."

"Right." John replied skeptically.

'What? You don't believe me?" I cried.

"I'm a shapeshifter. Don't you think I'd be able to know an imposter when I see one?"

 _'Darling, I love you so so so much, but you are an idiot. She's telling the truth. This is me.'_ Freddie insisted.

"And I suppose Delilah--or should I say Freddie is in on this scheme?" Deaky laughed. "Very funny."

"What the hell John? Why don't you believe us? It's true!" I exclaimed.

"Okay. So you're Delilah?" He finally understood.

"Yes!"

Deaky paled. "And that's Freddie." He pointed to the cat.

 _'Exactly.'_ Freddie purred in response.

"Christ! Why didn't you call off the show like Brian wanted?"

 ** _'_** _There's no way in hell that's happening, my love. I'm not letting down our fans. The show must go on!'_ Freddie declared.

"The show must go on!" I agreed. I was able to sing like Freddie even if I did mess up the song. If I had his voice that was all I needed.

"This is mad! Delilah, you can't do this. Freddie, you can't expect her to do this. If you think you can pull this off, you are crazy!" Deaky exclaimed.

"I managed to fool you, didn't I, Deaky, my darling." I purred.

"I swear if this is some kind of joke, Freddie, it's not funny." He scoffed.

So now he was back to not believing us. We were taking one step forward slipping two steps back.

"Good news!" Roger came running toward us. "I gave that muse hating douchebag a punch in the face. He then shouted all these siren related slurs at me, but his boss overheard and asked to speak to him privately. You see, I told you we'd get him fired! Little by little we're making the civilization a better place."

 _'There are too many people like him though.'_ Freddie mewled. ' _And even fellow magical creatures are unwilling to accept changes.'_

"This is because of what your parents were saying the other day, isn't it?" I realized.

"Delilah has parents?" Roger asked cluelessly. "Why didn't you adopt them, Freddie?"

"We aren't talking to you." I said sharply.

 _'Delilah be nice please.'_ Freddie urged.

"Is she talking shit about me?" Roger demanded.

"Yes. We were just talking about how you—Oh! It's my BriBri! Where have you been all this time?" I eagerly jumped up to embrace Brian.

"I figured out what happened. Thanks to this book." He held up a book labeled  _Potions Gone Wrong_.

"You are so smart!" I cooed, smacking my lips forcefully up against his in a kiss I had always wanted to steal.

By the time Brian pushed me away Roger's fist had already met my face. Yeah it was still worth it!

_Freddie's POV_

' _My face!'_ I screamed as Roger punched it. First Delilah's scratch and now this. When I got my body back I was going to have to do a whole lot of singing to restore my beautiful face from these wounds.

"You know I think I believe you now." Deaky said scratching me behind the ears the way Delilah enjoyed. I purred in content closing my eyes. That felt amazing.

"Roger, stop!" Brian shouted. "That's not Freddie. It's Delilah."

 _'Brimi, you are absolutely brilliant! How'd you figure it out?'_ I knew he couldn't understand me but he still went on to explain. "See right here on page 39: Potion Disruptors. Physical contact with another creature while consuming a potion will undermine the potion's intended magic and may cause undesirable effects such as linked minds and/or shared or swapped bodies."

"Shit! You mean to tell me that our frontman's a cat?" Roger summed up.

 _'See. Now you get it.'_ I applauded.

"I'm totally a muse." Delilah giggled. "Watch this." She proceeded to sing the famous cat food jingle.

Somehow Delilah could make me look like an idiot and I'd still love her unconditionally and embrace her silliness. ' _How are you so adorable? Even when you're not you.'_

The "song" was interrupted by a hiss of discomfort. My poor baby!  _'Delilah, darling, what's wrong?'_ I leapt into her arms, cuddling with her for comfort.

"Muse magic hurts." She slurred, shutting her eyes as the slashes and bruises to my face slowly repaired themselves.  _'You healed me.'_ I realized. That must have been very painful for her. I knew firsthand what she was going through. No, I didn't want that for my precious angel. I could bare the pain because I was used to it. I'd give anything to absorb that agony for her. I wish she was spared.

_Delilah's POV_

When I woke up, I felt good as new, so I assumed that I had successfully healed myself. I was holding Freddie.  _'Not so easy, is it, darling?'_  He contented. I shook my head. Who knew healing would take up so much energy? I thought Freddie exaggerated it, but it really was exhausting.  _'Are you feeling better, lovie? I really didn't want you to have to go through that.'_ He purred.

"I'm okay now." I said.

I noticed Brian, Roger and Deaky huddled in a corner talking in whispers. "Rude of them not to include us in a band meeting." Not to mention Roger didn't apologize for punching me in the face.

 _'They've been ignoring me all day long. Even now that they know I'm not you, they're still not acknowledging me. All they do is pet me.'_ Freddie lamented. I gave him a sardonic grin. "Sucks being a cat, doesn't it? No one listens to you."

Finally, the other members of Queen remembered we were here and walked over. I awaited Roger's apology. Instead Brian announced that we wouldn't be performing today. "What?" I shrieked. "But that's not fair!"

 _'People are coming to see us. We have to give them what they want.'_ Freddie begged.  _'I'm sure with a bit of practice, Delilah can pull it off. Maybe we can get someone else to play the piano and just have her sing.'_

"Oh yes! That's a great idea! We should call Elton. He plays the piano. I'm sure he'd be happy to help us out." I suggested.

"Elton would be a good replacement act if he's willing to come on such short notice." Deaky said. 

"Replacement act? No! He's going to perform with us, not instead of us. Unless Freddie can teach me to play the piano." I wiggled my fingers. "It shouldn't be that hard. I've got these." I went to sit down at the bench and began to press the buttons, but the sounds were not very harmonious. I didn't understand it. When Freddie put his fingers down on the buttons he created music. "I think the piano's broken."

 _'It's agreed then. Elton will play the piano, and all you have to do is sing, darling. You can do that. I know you can. You'll be brilliant.'_ Freddie declared. ' _Now get one of the boys to call Sharon for us. Time is running out before the show!'_

"Hurry someone! Call Elton. Ask him if he can play the piano for us. The show must go on!" I urged.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Roger asked.

'Yes!' Freddie and I shouted in unison.

"I'll call him." John said.

_'Thank you, Deaky, darling. See, this is why I love him.'_

"Freddie says he loves you, Deaky." I translated.

The shapeshifter blushed. "Um thanks, Delilah. I love him back and I'd kiss you but you're not him...This is weird." He excused himself to go to the payphone.

"Freddie also says he loves Brian and the kiss was not a mistake and Roger should not have intervened." I pushed my luck.

 _'No, I did not say that. You take that back Delilah!'_ Freddie hissed.

"If you weren't hiding behind my best friend's face I'd punch you again." Roger threatened.

"Let's all just calm down." Brian said. "Delilah, if you're going to be singing as Freddie, then you need some practice. Let's run through our setlist so you know what you're singing when and you don't mess up like you did in soundcheck."

"I won't let you down." I promised.

 _'And remember, darling, the voice is one thing, but passion is another thing entirely. Keep that in mind. Any muse can sing, but true performers have to pour their heart and soul into their craft.'_ Freddie advised.

***

I massaged my throat from all the singing. If that was just a quick run through of the setlist, how did Freddie manage all these long tours doing multiple shows on some nights? My vocals needed rest. In fact all of me needed rest. I watched enviously as Freddie napped on the piano bench.

"Good news everyone!" Deaky announced. "Elton said he'd do it. He'll be here in an hour. But we can't tell anyone he's performing with us. He wants it to be a surprise."

"The crowd will probably go crazy when they see him!" Brian exclaimed.

"Enough to distract them that Freddie's off." Roger nodded. "We might actually be able to do this."

"I am not off!" I cried. "I'm trying my hardest and I have the real Freddie's approval. If he didn't think I could do this, he would've agreed with you to cancel the show."

"I thought you were on vocal rest." Roger responded. "That means no more talking."

"Oh fuck off, Roger!" I shouted. "You're just jealous of me 'cause Brimi finds me cuter than you."

"Delilah, I'm not interested in you. How many times do we need to discuss this? It's never going to happen." Brian exclaimed. "Now both of you get along!"

"Why don't you love me, Brian?" I pouted.

"I do, Delilah, but not in that way. You belong with Romeo. Remember?" He said gently breaking my heart. Brian was literally killing me with kindness. Ugh!

At least I had some other eye candy to distract me. It looked like Clare and the glorious Erik had finally found us. Brian naturally held Roger back. Good. I didn't want him ruining this for me as well.

"Roger! Where have you been? It's like you've been avoiding us or something!" Clare exclaimed.

"I haven't. Brian's been hiding me from you so I don't make a scene." Roger admitted, he limboed under Brian's protective grasp. "So you're Erik?"

"That's right. You're Roger. It's good to finally meet y--"

"--Save it for my mother. Your charm won't fool me. What do you want with my sister, hmm?"

How dare he be so mean to sweet Erik. I'd put a stop to this. "Roger, you need to be nice. Erik is the best. Everybody loves him. How can you not love him? He smells like fish!"

"Um...thank you, Freddie." Erik mumbled.

"No, thank  _you_  Erik for being so perfect and dreamy." I cooed. "And unlike the other hunter love of my life I know you won't ever break my heart."

"I'm sorry?" Erik asked.

"Ahh. I love your voice! It's so deep and sexy." I giggled.

"Okay, I think that's enough." Brian stepped in front of me. "Erik, it's nice to  meet you. Clare, it's always good to see you. Why don't you two go look at the cats? We won't be performing for a while."

"Ohh, can I pet Delilah? She's so cute!" Clare wandered over to where Freddie was sleeping on the piano bench.

"I see you got a collar on Delilah now. That's good." Erik observed. Oh I loved the way he said my name. I purred softly.

"Cut it out!" Deaky said under his breath.

Freddie opened his eyes.  _'Fuck. I'm still Delilah. Hello Clare. Hi again, Erik. Don't try to catnap me like you did the real Delilah or I will bite you.'_

"Don't you dare bite beautiful Erik!" I growled.

"Aww, she's so adorable! I just love her." Clare cooed, fawning over Freddie.

"You're one lucky guy, Freddie." Erik laughed. "I wish Delilah was my cat."

"I wish I was your cat too." I exhaled.

"What did you just say?" He chuckled. Ahh, the sound of his laughter was like an angel.

' _Like it or not, you're my cat, Delilah. It's going to stay that way.'_ Freddie hissed possessively.

"You're not the boss of me." I retorted. "In fact I'd be such a good girl for Erik. Here's how good I'd be."  I took the hunter in my arms and kissed him. Was today the best day of my life? Probably.

"What the hell?" Clare screamed as Roger just snickered.

"I-I'm sorry...I don't know how this came about, and I'm sorry if I led you on in any way, but I'm taken and I'm not gay either." Erik stammered.

"Neither am I." I stated.

' _Darling when you're in my body you're gay by default.'_ Freddie reminded me. ' _But that doesn't mean you can go around kissing other people without consent. Show some restraint. You're not an animal!'_

"Freddie, what is wrong with you?" Clare cried. "Roger, did you put him up to this to try to sabotage me and Erik?"

"That does sound like something I'd do," he admitted, "but I had nothing to do with this I swear."

"I'll vouch for Roger even though I'm bias." Brian said. "He wants to kill you, Erik, but he didn't arrange this. And don't blame Freddie either. It's kind of a long story but it's not his fault."

"It's nothing personal, Derik." Roger purposefully got his name wrong. "No one is good enough for Clare. And you already hurt her. You caught her in your fucking net. I'll never forgive you for that."

"I let her go." Erik cried. "I love Clare. I wouldn't dream of hurting her."

"Roggie, we need to talk privately." His sister all but dragged Roger away. Erik shrugged and followed. Oh, he was so understanding!

"I love you Erik!" I screamed after them.

"Delilah, you need to stop. Please." Deaky cried. "Just take a few deep breaths and stop."

"What am I doing wrong?" I questioned.

 _'Remind Deaky that it's only him I love. Please, darling. This is very important. If you're going around cheating on him in front of his face at least have the decency to let him know that this isn't of my doing.'_ Freddie begged.

"It's okay, Freddie." John said. "I know."

I gasped. ' _You understand?'_ He mewled.

"I mean I can imagine what you're trying to tell me. It must not to be easy to have someone else running around in your body being disloyal to me, but I know you'd never do that to me, sweetheart." Deaky said.

 _'I love you! I love you so much! You are the best.'_ Freddie purred.

"Umm....not sure what you're saying now. Sorry, Fred."

"He loves you." I translated. "Look, this is all me, Deaks. I've got my own love life. It has nothing to do with Freddie. So don't be mad at him."

 _'Delilah, I know you mean well, but try to refrain from your personal business while you're in my body.'_ Freddie said.

"But Erik is such a sweetie, and I'll always love Brimi." I sighed.

"Mr. Mercury." One of the security guards rushed over. "There's some guests here to see you claiming they're blood relatives, but they don't have a stage pass. Should I let them in?"

"Fuck the stage pass. It's stupider than the collar. It probably really is Fre--I mean my family. Let them in." I said.

Sure enough, the trio of muses entered the backstage area. Kashmira ran to me and gave me a hug. "Freddie! Oh I'm sorry. It's been too long. I've been so busy with my studies. The MCAT is coming up soon. I've missed you."

 _'I've missed you too Kash, but I'm proud of you, darling. You're going to be a great doctor!'_ Freddie purred.

"And hello to you too, Delilah. Aren't you a good kitty?" Kash spoke down to him. "Who's a good kitty?" I still never got an answer to that question. Maybe Freddie would figure out that riddle for me and let me know who the good kitty is.

"Farrokh." Bomi addressed me assuming I was his son.

"Bom--I mean Papa, what are you doing here?"

"We're here to see you sing of course. We wouldn't miss it for the world!" Jer exclaimed, kissing my face. "Oh my talented baby boy. I finally get to see you sing live."

"But I thought you didn't like it when I did this stuff because your neighbors are a bunch of assholes?"

"Farrokh, we do not speak of others that way especially those in our community." Bomi scolded, but then he softened. "Yes, our neighbors are a bit close minded, but that won't stop us from supporting you especially since this is a charity event. I admit I was skeptical about this career choice for you, but if you're singing for the right reasons, I'll of course allow it. Remember son, good thoughts, good words, good deeds."

"Is good kitty on that list?" I questioned.

 _'Delilah, please behave.'_ Freddie wiggled uncomfortably as Kash stroked his fur. _'You're finally getting his approval which is something I've been striving for. Please, darling, for me. Just say thank you Papa and leave it at that.'_

I wanted my muse to be happy. If Bomi's words meant that much to him, I'd accept them on Freddie's behalf. "Thank you, Papa." I said.

***  
 _Freddie's POV_

"EEEEK!" One of the Bangles shrieked. I looked up curiously to see what all the commotion was about. When Kashmira screamed, my fur stood up and I hissed possessively. I found Roger's anger towards Erik amusing, but if anyone were to court my sister I'd be just as furious. 

"Calm down. It's just a little rat." Stevie Nicks chuckled. 

The girl and even a few guys continued to scream as the rodent scampered across the grass. "Kill it!" Somebody shouted. 

"No! Don't kill it! It's got every right as you to be here. Please don't hurt it." Brian cried. 

"Leave this to me." Delilah grinned. She got down on all fours and clumsily scrambled on the ground as the rat scurried away from her. 

 _'Please don't do that, darling. I look ridiculous.'_ I protested. 

"You're right. It's no use. You're too big." She complained. 

I purred in response to the compliment.  _'Thank you. I'm glad you noticed.'_

"I meant too big to chase rats. That's not a good thing." Delilah pouted. "Why don't you go after it for me, Freddie?"

 _'Me?'_ She couldn't be serious. There was no way I was chasing a rat.  _'No. That is not happening.'_

"You're a cat now, Freddie. It's in the job description." 

_'Darling, I might be a cat now, but I'm still a queen. I'll leave the dirty work to my peasants. Find a different cat to chase rodents for you.'_

"Please." Delilah begged, widening my eyes. That was the trick she taught me and damn did it work. Why was she so cute? How could I ever say no?  _'Fine, I'll fucking do it.'_

I scampered after the rat trying to catch it, but every time I batted my paw down the sneaky little thing seemed to escape my grasp. Eventually, the rat escaped in between the posts of the fence. I hissed angrily. How could I lose? Even worse, it seemed that the tag of my collar was caught in the fence. I was stuck! 

 _'Delilah, help!'_ I mewled. When she didn't respond I whimpered.  _'Somebody?' Somebody!'_  I screamed. ' _Can anybody find me?'_

My cries were answered. A man approached the fence. Good. I was saved. I knew it was only a matter of time. He'd free me and I'd go right back to Delilah. On closer inspection I recognized the man. It was that muse hater from earlier who had the audacity to insult Delilah. Didn't Roger say he was fired. 

"What have we here?" The man untucked the tag of my collar from the fence, but he kept his grip on it pinning me in place. "You're Freddie Mercury's cat?"

 _'I will fucking kill you.'_ I threatened. 

"It's a good thing I found you. Freddie would be so devastated if you got lost." He chuckled, unclicking my collar and tossing it to the side. With a malicious laugh, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me away. 

 _'I warned you. Now face my wrath!'_ I unleashed my claws on him, aiming for his throat, hoping to slit it. I writhed in his grasp, managing a small scratch. 

"Hey!" A voice called from behind us. It was Erik. "Isn't that Freddie's cat?"

"Um, no don't be ridiculous. This is one of the strays." The hunter stammered. 

 _'Liar!'_   I snarled. 

Erik didn't fall for it. "No, that's Delilah. Hand her over. I don't know what you're trying to do to her, but you won't get away with it. Don't think I don't remember you from hunting school and what an ass you were."

"Oh yeah...I remember you. You failed the kill drill and became a fisherman like your father." The man spit by Erik's feet. "Pathetic."

"What's pathetic are hunters like you still clinging to the past." Erik said, snatching me from this jerk. "It's okay, Delilah. I've got you. Let's get you back to Freddie."

Without saying another word, Erik turned away from the threat and walked me back to safety. He pet me gently. "You're okay, Delilah."

' _Thank you.'_ I purred. _'I misjudged you, darling.'_

"I owe Freddie an apology. He wasn't being a neglectful pet owner. You were just being targeted. That horrible man probably stole your collar."

_'You're a good man, Erik. I'll try to protect you from Roger, but no promises.'_

As promised I was returned to Delilah unscathed thanks to Erik. "Where were you? What happened? Did you get the rat?" She asked in one breath. 

 _'Erik rescued me from that horrid hunter from earlier.'_  I explained. 

"You're a hero, Erik!" Delilah exclaimed. "I'd kiss you again, but I don't want to get in any more trouble."

"It was no problem." Erik said humbly. 

Roger shook his head. "I still hate you, but I won't kill you." He decided. Well that was progress as far as I was concerned! 

***

_Delilah's POV_

"Mr. John has arrived!" One of the stagehands announced. I looked to John curiously. "No, not me. Elton John." Deaky clarified.

"Freddie has a very close friendship with him, so either tell him the truth if he believes you or try not to do anything that might jeopardize their relationship." Brian advised.

"And call him Sharon." Roger added.

 _'Darlings, relax, it's only Sharon she's dealing with. Delilah will do fine. She's met him before many, many times.'_ Freddie mewled.

"Yeah. As a cat, not as a muse." I said. "This is a little different."

Leave it to Elton to show up Freddie in terms of style. He arrived in the most delicious colorful chicken costume. I licked my lips. ' _No, Delilah.'_ I told myself. _'We don't chase after our friends.'_ Obviously he wasn't a real bird, but without my trusted nose I didn't know what to believe. Thankfully as Elton got closer his scent became more defined. I smelled Pinball Wizard, but not chicken.

 _'Oh darling, you're so outrageous! You look ridiculous, and I absolutely love it!'_ Freddie purred.

"Melina!" Elton exclaimed.

Oh right that was Freddie's drag name. "Sharon!" I squealed. "You look exquisite, darling, so divine, just like a tasty little birdie." Being Freddie wasn't so hard if I put in the effort. That totally sounded like something he'd say.

"Thanks for doing this, Elton. We appreciate it." Brian said.

"Of course. Anything for Freddie. Speaking of which, what's the matter with you, Freddie, you have me worried. Why can't you play piano?"

"The piano is broken." I replied.

"Broken?" Elton cried. "Oh dear! Well then how do you expect me to play it for you?"

 _'It's not broken. My body's just been hijacked by my cat who can't play piano. Can you believe it, Sharon, darling? A witch cast a spell on us.'_  Freddie explained.

_"Get back, honky cat_

_Get back, honky cat_

_Get back, whoo."_ Elton sang teasingly and burst into laughter. "I've always wanted to sing that to an actual cat! Seriously though, Melina, I know you're rather fond of pussies, but why would you bring your cat to a concert?"

Oh yeah. I forgot he was a dog person. Why was he friends with Freddie again?

"I never thought I'd ever hear someone describe Freddie as being rather fond of pussies." Roger blurted.

"Mind out of the gutter! I'm was talking about cats. Now, let's fix that broken piano so we can play some music!" Elton declared.

"It's not broken." Deaky said.

"Did I say it was broken? I meant it was soaking because they tried giving it a bath and...Oh fuck it! I'm a cat." I admitted. "That's the honest truth, Elton. There was this witch bitch named Vivianna and she tried to force Freddie to drink this tea, but it wasn't really tea it was a potion meant to turn him into a cat, but I stopped him from drinking it by scratching him and then the scratch messed with the potion's effects and made us switch bodies."

"Oh I get it." He nodded casually.

"You do?" I gasped.

"Yeah. You're high." Elton concluded. "Don't worry. We've all been there. I know I certainly have. Hopefully you're having a good trip. I'll play piano for you no questions asked. Just make sure you're at least sober enough to sing."

 _'Darling, I am not high right now.'_ Freddie cried. ' _I'm a bloody cat....And when I say that I sound high. Maybe this whole thing is one giant hallucination.'_

"Then how would I also be hallucinating that I'm in your body?" I challenged. "It's all real, Freddie."

"Show's about to begin! 5 minutes until we start letting guests in. Someone clear Mr. Mercury's cat off the stage! The Bangles are on in 20." The stagehand called.

 _'I'll watch you from the wings.'_ Freddie whimpered.  _'The show must go on.'_

Suddenly I was starting to feel under pressure. How could I live up to my magnificent muse? "Are you sure I can do this, Freddie?"

_'Darling, you have to. You've got the voice. All you have to do is sing from the heart. You'll be fine, lovie. I know you'll blow them all away.'_

"If you think I can do it then that's all I need." I exhaled. I had no choice. I couldn't let Freddie down. Even if the show ended up being a disaster, I had to perform to the best of my ability as Freddie Mercury always would.

_Freddie's POV_

Somehow I found myself in the audience on Kash's lap. My family had gotten front row seats. The first time they were seeing me sing live it wouldn't be me. What excellent timing! Delilah would probably do alright so long as she didn't forget her lyrics. My voice went a long way. It would be passable. This was the first time in my life I'd be settling for just passable in a performance.In this case passable would have to be sufficient.

"I'm so excited!" Kash giggled as she pet me. "You're so lucky, Delilah. You've probably seen Freddie perform so many times. I've only watched him on the telly."

Technically, I've only seen myself on video recordings. So it ought to be a new experience for both of us. Would it live up to our expectations? That question was waiting to be answered.

"I just wish Freddie knew how important it is what he's doing. Music has been missing from our community and it's so special to finally have it back." She glanced back at Mama and Papa and then lowered her voice speaking directly into my sensitive ears. "Mama sings Queen songs when she does chores and it helps her get them done a lot faster. And Papa seems so much happier when we put on the albums. He's been smiling a lot more lately."

Really? I had no idea that our work was impacting my parent's lives so positively. I thought it was a great shame in the family having a muse who gave into the supposed will of those around us. The neighbors were disgusted. But Kashmira had no reason to lie, especially not to cat.

"They're just afraid to admit that they love it." She whispered. "People can be so cruel, but I think the music is helping them become more open minded. It's something we can all share together. I hope Freddie keeps singing forever."

 _'I plan to, darling.'_ I purred.

"One day people like my brother will inspire us to return to a time when it wasn't a sin for muses to sing. We can finally do what we're made for without the shame." She sighed.

 _'When that day comes, you better watch out for us muses because we will rock you!'_ I exclaimed. Maybe being a muse wasn't as much of a curse as I originally thought. Well it shouldn't concern me until I returned to my body. For now I could just enjoy being a cat and...Fuck! I hated this. Why wasn't I up there on stage where I belonged? Oh well. It wouldn't be long. Just a few more hours...

_Delilah's POV_

Now was my moment. I channeled my inner muse. Freddie was my best friend in the world. I could this for him. His confidence was infectious. I'd just be the great pretender like him.

"Hey, how are you doing my beautiful cat loving audience!" I shouted running out onto the stage. "Surprise! My friend Elton John is doing the piano. And the piano is not broken! Now let's rock and roll lovies. Are we all ready Freddie?"

From there, I pushed this body to the limit knowing full well what it could take from Freddie's years of abuse and being forced to over-sing to the point of exhaustion. Yes this was tiring, but for Freddie it was no sweat, and I could do it too! The real Freddie was out there somewhere watching. I knew how much he put into his shows so I had to find that same energy.

Everything was going great until on the final note of Hammer to Fall, I took a fall myself. Dancing was not easy despite what Deaky made it seem. "Fuck!" I groaned as Brian helped me back up. "Isn't Brian May the best?" I exclaimed, trying to by time so I could catch my breath. "I absolutely love him and that's no lie." The audience agreed with me giving a thunderous applause making me jealous. "Okay, we can't all share him now. Onto the next song. My ass still hurts from the fall, but pain is for the weak so I'll just ignore it and the next song is about asses anyways. Who here likes Fat Bottomed Girls?" Apparently the audience was a bigger fan of Brian May as the applause was slightly less boisterous. "I said who here likes Fat Bottomed Girls? These ears kinda suck compared to cat ears, so I can't fucking hear you! Who likes big Fat Bottomed Girls?" I screamed. Ahh, that was better. That got them up on their feet shouting. Roger counted down and then we all harmonized.

I couldn't believe how good things were going! My heart raced as the others left the stage and Brian switched to an acoustic guitar. "This song is very special." Brian told the audience. "Freddie wrote it for his soulmate."

I rolled my eyes. ' _Thanks for that reminder, Bri.'_ I thought sarcastically. Here I thought this would be a romantic moment we'd share. He went on. "But now we'd like to share this intimate song with all of you. This is Love of my Life." The crowd went wild as he played the familiar chords.

I began to sing normally just like Freddie would. Only I was caught off guard by the glow from my skin as my voice carried. I had seen Freddie glow way too many times that I hardly noticed it anymore. Before today I never understood why he tried to hold it back when he sang as it was his natural essence. Now I knew why. All eyes were on me as I shined like the stars. I felt so vulnerable like I was being backed into a corner by a pack of scary dogs. Nowhere to hide.

"Thank you." I whispered as the glow faded.

"You're doing so well!" Brian encouraged as he put down his acoustic to replace it with the red special. We agreed he'd have an extended guitar solo instead of Freddie's audience sing along, but now part of me regretted that decision. The people wanted to hear this muse voice unrestrained. I owed it to Freddie.

Instead of putting the broken mic down for a break, I held it up in the air. "AY-OH!" I crooned proudly showing the crowd what they were dealing with. The muse glow returned. "AY-OH!" They mimicked.

I wasn't Freddie. Hearing them sing it back to me just reminded me that it was only Freddie's voice and energy the could command an audience. I was just tapping into that potential. So...Why not do something a bit different? "We're here for the cats, aren't we?"  I grinned.

"ME-OW! Do it with me now, darlings. ME-OW!"

I turned back to the stunned bandmates as the entire audience meowed. "You're all such good kitties." I applauded. "ME-OW!"

"ME-OW!" They echoed.

I purred in approval. "Here's Brian on guitar!"

"Oh, now you want me?" Brian quickly readied his Red Special and went on with his solo while I watched him in admiration.

Deaky handed me a cup of water which I eagerly gulped down lapping it with my tongue not caring if the roadies and stagehands gave me funny looks for drinking like a cat. "I'm Freddie fucking Mercury and I need my water. Mind your own business." I sassed.

"My God, Fre--Delilah! You're killing it! I don't believe it!" Roger exclaimed. "How is this possible?"

"A certain muse is somewhere in the audience and I know I have to live up to his high standards." I answered honestly.

"Yes but you got everyone in the audience to fucking meow! I'm not even sure the real Freddie could do something that ridiculous." Roger cried.

"He probably could. It's Freddie we're talking about." Deaky said. "I just wonder what he thinks of all this."

_Freddie's POV_

My baby girl was a star! I was a proud parent seated next to two proud parents. I didn't anticipate Delilah surpassing my expectations, but somehow she did. She was unpredictable but in the best ways!

"My baby boy is a star!" Mama exclaimed wiping the tears from her eyes.

"He's surpassed my expectations!" Papa cheered.

 _'Delilah, you brilliant little muse, not even I can surpass Papa's expectations.'_ I was so happy that I was shaking. How could this be working out so well? I didn't understand. The audience was just eating her up and so was I. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she sang and danced and put every ounce of passion into each and every note.  _'That's my girl! Good kitty! Good kitty! The very best! Nothing but treats for you from now on!'_ I screamed. I doubted she could hear me over the roaring of the rest of the audience.

I couldn't contain my enthusiasm as Kash brought me backstage after the show to meet up with the band. ' _Where is she? Where is my Delilah? I need to see her and kiss her and tell her how much I love her! Cuddles are coming your way, darling!'_

"I'm exhausted!" The poor thing was limping  and collasped onto a couch. "Body's aching all the time." She groaned.

 _'Oh my love!'_ I ran to her jumping up on her lap licking her face.  _'I'm so so proud of you. I've never been prouder. You're a good girl. How can I repay you? Fish? Toys? Treats? Yarn?'_

"Naaapp." She slurred. "How the hell do you do this every night? I-I'm so tired and my throat...my throat is killing me."

 _'Rest now, lovie. Take your nap. You deserve it.'_  I told her.

"I love you,Freddie." She sighed holding me close and shutting her eyes.

_'I love you too, Delilah.'_

***

"AY-OH! This muse is back!" I shouted in triumph. I smiled down at Delilah. "How are you feeling, darling?Back to yourself?"

She chased her tail. " _My tail! My tail! My glorious tail! Oh how I've missed you!"_

"I'll take that as a yes." I laughed.

"Freddie?" I locked eyes with my soulmate. "John!" I squealed, wrapped my arms around him and kissing me. "Deaky my love! I'm so sorry for all of this chaos. You know I love you with all of my heart and I would never ever hurt you."

"I know." He giggled kissing me back. "I love you too!" 

Brian cleared his throat. He and Roger were standing there watching us snog. "Get a room!" Roger hollered. 

"I suppose I owe both of you an apology as well." I said. 

"It's not your fault, Fred. No harm done." Brian assured me.

"And I accept your apology on Delilah's behalf." Roger said.

All was well. I leaned down to pet my sweet Delilah. "What a good kitty." I cooed. She looked up at me and purred. _'What a good muse.'_

 


	35. You Gave me no Warning Took me by Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the doctor's office changes Brian and Roger's lives forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: PLEASE READ!   
> This is kind of important. So previously I've said I wouldn't write mpreg. I'm aware of what I said so don't @ me. It's not illegal to change your mind. Giving it some thought I feel like mpreg could work well in this story so that's where we're taking things next! Consider this a spoiler for where the Misfits saga is going from here, but I thought I should give my readers a heads up on what's to come. Now on with the show!

_Roger's POV_

I couldn't pinpoint when I started feeling queasy.At first I just brushed it off as nothing more than a stomach virus, but those things are supposed to go away in a few days. Whatever this was lasted longer and my poor cramping tummy was paying for it. An insidious cycle really: I'd vomit all my meals and then eat twice as much to make up for it. You'd think puking would get rid of your appetite but I was constantly craving all sorts of salty snacks.

It had to be at Freddie's party about a month ago, I concluded. I got so shitfaced I remember absolutely nothing from that night. The whole thing was a blur apart from waking up the next morning submerged in the jacuzzi in Garden Lodge apparently having fallen asleep on the pool floor. Maybe somebody drugged me or I ate something at the party? That was the only thing to come to mind. What else could have happened?

Whatever this was I planned to get to the bottom of it. I couldn't take this sickness much longer. It was beginning to take a toll on my slender figure. I put my hands on my swollen belly in disgust. What would our fans think of the new fat drummer who used to be cute and skinny? Forget the fans, what would Brian think? He couldn't find this growing flab in my mid section attractive.

Hesitantly I stepped onto the scale. I was afraid to look. "Fuck!" I shouted. I had gained 5 more lb, and it was showing particularly in my stomach. I wanted to cry, so like a child I gave into my emotions which were as fickle as the weather these days. It was dumb to cry like this, but I couldn't control myself, the tears spilled like a river.

And then there was Brian. He was probably sick of dealing with all the tears I'd been shedding these past few weeks. What was wrong with me? I had to pull myself together because I know I should do better. After all I'm a free man now. Still, I sobbed and my soulmate was there to console me. "Briiii, I'm fucking fat and you won't love me anymore!" I wailed into his arms.

"Oh honey, no don't say that. I'll always love you, and you're so beautiful. Why can't you see that?" He drawled, gently patting my belly making me giggle and dry my tears. "Here, let me draw you a warm bubble bath. That ought to help."

"You're wonderful!" I proclaimed now overwhelmed with gratitude. Yeah my moods could change at the drop of a hat it seemed. "I love you so much, so so much!" I declared.

"I love you too, Roger, and you're absolutely glowing." Brain stared down at me in the water with a look of admiration. "I don't know, love, there's just something about you lately that seems so...vigorous." He leaned in over the tub to kiss me. "Your scent's different too, but it's nice. I like it. It's perfect."

The change in my scent was subtle and only detectable in my true form. I was surprised Brian was able to pick up on it. At least he liked it and it wasn't off-putting as I feared. I just wanted to know what the hell was going on with me and get back to normal as soon as possible. Brian took my hand with my soulmark and inhaled the scent. "I just love it! It's driving me mad. In a good way of course. You're all I've been thinking about these past few weeks, Roger, more so than normal."

"Is that why you've been acting so possessive lately?" I pondered.

"How so?" Brian inquired.

I rolled my eyes. Like he didn't notice. "The other day you scolded Freddie for coming too close to me with his mic stand."

"He could have hit you with it, Roger. It's not a toy." He justified.

"You literally snarled at Deaky for doing nothing but sit next to me." I cried.

"Okay that was uncalled for and I did apologize to John afterwards." Brian acknowledged. "I just don't know what's gotten into me lately. Maybe it's a repressed hunter instinct coming out but I feel like I have to protect you even when there's no threat. I'll try to tone it down if it's too much, but a lot of it I can't help."

"Bri, I think there's something wrong with me...and whatever it is is also affecting you. I'm sorry. You shouldn't be dragged into whatever bullshit this is, but here we are. I'm sick and fat and out of control emotionally and you're suddenly an Alpha male. We need to do something." I sighed.

"I'm one step ahead of you, Roger. I was going to tell you earlier but you were in one of your bad moods so I decided to wait. Tomorrow afternoon I booked you an appointment with a doctor. We'll have our answers in no time at all."

I cringed. No! Anything but that! "I hate the doctor, Brian. You know that!" I protested. "Besides what good would a human doctor with no expertise on sirens ever do for me?"

"Well Dr. Waters isn't just any normal human doctor. She's a specialist dealing with sirens living on land and whatever medical issues that can lead to." He explained.

"Unless she's a mermaid herself then I'm not interested." I huffed.

"Her soulmate is a merman. They're just like us, Roger."

"Wait...Waters as in Poseidon Waters? Is that her soulmate? Yeah, Poseidon was the only person I knew with a soulmate on land and he said that she was a land doctor." I recalled. "Everyone said he was crazy when he gave up everything and started a life on land to get married to her, but I guess it worked out for him just like it worked out for us."

"Does that mean you'll go to the appointment?" Brian pushed.

"I don't know..." I murmured. "What about One Vision? We still have a lot of work to do. Do we really have time to take off an afternoon?"

"I talked it over with Freddie and Deaky already. They're fine with it. We aren't making much progress recording when our drummer has to keep stopping to throw up or eat, so this doctor's appointment should take care of that." Brian insisted.

"No, the real reason we aren't making much progress is because that rotter Freddie keeps changing all the words and making a mockery of the lyrics." I scoffed.

"Please, Roggie." He begged. "I just want you to feel better."

"Very well." I gave in. "Now make yourself useful and bring me the big bag of sea salt crisps."

***

"Roger Taylor May?" The woman called.

I took Brian's hand anxiously. "Go in with me?" I whispered.

"Of course."

No one questioned Brian accompanying me into the small medical office adjacent to the waiting room. Maybe it was because he was a hunter and was considered the dominant, but for once I was grateful for conformities. I took a seat on the examiner chair and we waited for Dr. Waters.

"Don't look so scared, Roger. You'll be fine."Brian reassured me.

"You know it's not too late to back out. We could just have Freddie sing away whatever mysterious illness this is." I said attempting to scramble out of the seat but Brian held me down. "We agreed as a family that if one of us ever gets sick or hurt, we don't put Freddie through that kind of pain to heal us unless it's an emergency. You're not on your deathbed heaven forbid."

Why was he always right?I couldn't take advantage of Freddie like that. It'd be too selfish of me. The muse had been through too much.

Before I could bolt, a petite woman with kinky hair wearing a white lab coat walked into the room. "Hello. I'm Dr. Waters. You must be Roger and Brian."

"I know Poseidon." I blurted.

"Ah yes, my hubby." She smiled. "He's at home with our hatchlings, but I'll let him know you said hi."

"Hatchlings?" I questioned. "But you're human. Wouldn't you have land babies?"

"I'm human, but my husband is a siren. You can't predict which parent the babies will take after with hybrids, so you can imagine my surprise when I gave birth to hatchlings." She explained. "And speaking of that, I think I know what's happening with you based on the pre diagnostic forms you filled out in the waiting room. Forgive me for being so blunt, but are you two sexually active?"

"I don't see why you need to know that." Brian blushed. "The answer is yes." I stated snidely.

"Ahh." Dr. Waters nodded. "Now, Roger, I'm just going to run a quick hormone test and then give you a sonogram. Hopefully by then we'll have an answer about your tummy troubles."

"N-No shots?"

"Well the hormone test requires me drawing some blood. I promise it'll only take a second. Count to 3 and it'll be done in a flash." She said.

"O-Okay..." I said tentatively, reaching for Brian's hand. I didn't like shots at all, but if it meant getting answers, I'd brave it. "Here, honey, you can sit on my lap if you'd like. I'll hold you." Brian offered. I shut my eyes tightly and clung to Brian as Dr. Waters approached me with the needle. Surprisingly, my usually gentle and compassionate hunter gave into his primitive nature and growled at her. "Brimi?" I gasped. "OW!" The prick was unexpected, but not as painful as I thought it would be.

"All done!" Dr. Waters announced. "And it's alright to be overprotective of your mate, Brian. It's normal, especially for hunters. I won't take offense."

"I always feel protective of my loved ones, but it's never driven me to such animalistic behaviors like this before. Forgive me." Brian said.

"It's fine. Like I said it's normal and very common in hunters." Dr. Waters dismissed. "If I'm right about this, then it has to do with Roger's change in hormones. Now while we wait for those test results, let's do the sonogram which is sure to tell us the truth."

"W-Will it hurt?" I asked.

"No. It might be cold and tickle a bit but I promise it won't hurt. But Brian you'll have to let him go. Can you do that for me?"I pouted, but Brian listened to the doctor and let me down from his lap.

"Now, Roger, lie down for me. And Brian, this might be difficult for you, but I'm going to be lifting up his shirt so I can rub ultrasound gel on his belly to conduct the sonogram. Try not to attack me."

Brian only laughed as I rolled up my shirt and prepared for the cold cream to be rubbed onto my stomach. "That's ridiculous, Dr. Waters." Brian downplayed. "Why would I ever attack y--GET YOUR HANDS OFF  _MY_ SIREN!" He covered his mouth in shock. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Fuck! That's cold!" I hissed writhing beneath Dr. Waters' touch. She apologized and ignored Brian's continued snarls.

"Okay, we're all ready." Dr. Waters announced and began the sonogram. A blurry image appeared on the screen. I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at and Brian was more concerned with the device Dr. Waters was rubbing across my stomach as he glared at her possessively.

"Oh my!" The doctor proclaimed. "It's just as I suspected. I believe a congratulations is in order!"

I squinted trying to make out the figure on the screen. The little splotch in the center almost seemed like a tiny head...with an even smaller body attached, cutely crouched in a fetal position. No, it couldn't be what I thought it was. I had to be mistaken. "W-What is this?"

"Roger, I don't think you're understanding. That's your baby. You're pregnant!" Dr. Waters squealed.

I shook my head. This wasn't possible. I couldn't possibly be... There was no way... "Is this a joke?" Brian cried. My thoughts exactly!

"I can't be...This must be wrong! I can't get pregnant from land sex. It's physically impossible." I shouted.

"L-Land sex?...Wait, so Rog...you mean to tell me...y-you  _can_ get pregnant?" Brian hyperventilated. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"

Shit! Shit! I was going to lose the love of my life over this...this anomaly. We never even discussed having kids. I wanted a family with Brian of course but this was all so sudden and I wasn't sure how he felt. He evidently wasn't even aware I could get pregnant. "I-I thought you knew. That's common knowledge. You know everything. How did you not know both genders of sirens can have hatchlings?" No! No! Fuck! Brian was crying. Why was he crying? He was going to scold me for not telling him that this was possible, call me a freak, leave me forever.

"Roggie! We're having a baby! We're having a baby! I'm going to be a father! I never thought this could happen! Oh what a miracle! My sweet siren is carrying my child! I love you, Roger!" Brian smacked his lips up against mine in a forceful passionate kiss. "We're going to have a family of our own now. My goodness! I don't believe this!"

"Y-You're...not mad?" I ventured.

"No, of course not! I'm shocked...My God! This is crazy! But I've never been happier! I've always wanted this for us, but I just thought we'd adopt eventually. This is even better! Even if it's unexpected, I am so excited! Aren't you, Roger?"

"I-I...I don't know how I feel." I admitted. I was still in a state of shock and denial. "H-How did this happen? We've only ever had land sex. I can't get pregnant from that."

"Roger, don't you remember Freddie's party? I know you were black out drunk, but I hoped to leave some lasting expression." Brian laughed. "Oh I can't believe this! What a gift!" He kissed me again as I thought back to my missing memories of the party. I had woken up at the bottom of the jacuzzi in my true form, but Brian was there resting above the water. "W-We...We had sex in the water...in my true form." I realized. That could only mean one thing...

Holy fucking shit!

"Bri! We're gonna have a hatchling! I'm going to be a mother!" I squealed. I looked back at the sonogram. Seeing it now made it feel more real. There was a baby inside of me! For better or for worse, my Brimi's spawn was growing in me. There was a piece of my beloved that was now a part of me too. No wonder Brian was so possessive, he was protecting both of us.

"Look at you, little one!" I patted my stomach but my eyes not leaving the screen. "I'm so sorry...This whole time I thought you were a fucking illness, but you're not. You're anything but that. You're a blessing." I beamed, my sight growing blurry with tears.

"I hate to break up this emotional realization, but the hormone results are in." Dr. Waters announced. "Brian, the reason you're so overzealous in keeping Roger and the baby safe is because Roger's blood is showing up positive for hunter hormones. When hunters have babies it brings out their dominant side so you can expect your id to be in control a lot during the pregnancy. Don't be alarmed. It's a normal hunter reaction to their newborn baby."

"It really is my baby isn't it?" Brian sniffled. "It's a hunter...well we'll raise it outside of tradition. I turned out fine despite coming from that horrific culture."

"H-Hunter?" How did I not see the little feet attached to my baby hatchling on the sonogram. "I-I'm not having a hatchling, am I?"

"No, Roger, you can see in the image here, there's no shell and you can make out legs and feet. You're going to have a land birth." Dr. Waters pointed to the sonogram.

"I-I'm having a land baby." This was all happening so fast.First there was no baby at all, then a hatchling, and now a hunter. "I-I have to give birth out of the water then..." Eek! I've heard horror stories of what female land dwellers had to go through in order to give birth. "C-Can I even do that as a man?"

"Yes I am well trained in these things. Don't you worry, Roger. You're in good hands. I'll make sure your baby arrives healthy and the process is as pleasant as possible." Dr. Waters promised. "So far baby seems to be doing very well in there. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"

"T-There's a heartbeat?" I was on the verge of fainting. It was all too much too soon. "Bri, I don't think I can do this. I-I don't know the first thing about land babies. I'm still new to land myself. I-I'm not ready for this!"

"It's okay, Roger. I know you're overwhelmed, but we'll get through this together. We're both scared, but that's alright. Remember we're not raising this baby alone. We have each other and our family to help."

Our family... "What about Queen?" I cried. "We're about to go on tour. We can't if I'm gonna have a baby."

"It's still early in the pregnancy. If we tour during the first trimester you'll be alright." Brian said. "But if you're not up to it then that's alright too. Our fans will understand. They'll be happy for us. I'm sure Freddie will be over the moon excited for us and John as well. You'll see, love, everything will work out. We can do this. I promise it'll be worth it when we have our bundle of joy to call our own."

I looked back at the sonogram and then down at my stomach. Soon I'd be cradling a baby in my arms. I'd be cradling  _my_ baby, and Brian's baby too. "I hope the baby is more like you than me. It seems that way since it's a hunter.Hopefully we'll have the most beautiful baby with your eyes and your crazy poodle hair and your clever and kind temperament."

"No I hope the baby looks more like you with your stunning blue eyes and pretty smile and he or she will have your spritely spirit always making us laugh and bringing us joy." Brian insisted.

"I'm a handful...how the hell are we going to care for a mini me? It'll drive us nuts!" I laughed.

"We'll manage." Brian said. "Can we hear the heartbeat please?"

"Of course." Dr. Waters replied.

The fluttering lub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub of a baby's heart filled my ears. "You're really in there aren't you?" I was going through so many mixed emotions. Surprised, frightened, overjoyed. My heart was racing alongside the baby's.

"What if I'm like my father? This baby deserves better." I sighed.

"You won't be like him. You're not, not even close. Don't you say that, Roggie. You're going to be such a good parent. Our baby will love you. Come here." Brian put his arms around me protectively. "Everything will be okay."

"No matter what the baby will love you." I cooed. "If you treat it half as good as you do your animals you'll be the world's best dad."

"You're cute." Brian said putting his hands on my belly. "I can't wait to tell Deaky and Freddie about our little newcomer. I'm sure they'll be thrilled."

***

"I knew it!" Freddie sang. "I knew you were pregnant! I just didn't want to say anything in case I was wrong. Good thing I'm never wrong. Oh this is wonderful news, darlings! I'd offer champagne to celebrate but Roger can't drink. Here have a cat instead." He handed Oscar to me. The cat hissed in my arms.

"Please don't scratch him, Oscar." Brian said softly. "I don't want to hurt you in one of these hideous possessive fits."

"You're still rational, Bri. You won't give into these stupid hunter hormones making you crazy. You've got this!" I assured him.

"Those hormones are not stupid, Roger. They're coming from my baby, so they're anything but stupid."

" _You're_ baby?" I challenged. "You're not the one carrying it around for nine months. You don't have to go through a terrifying land birth that could very well kill me."

"Don't be over dramatic, darling. You won't die from this. It's anything but a death sentence. It's a miracle." Freddie put a hand out as if to touch my stomach but Brian stepped in front of him blocking me.

"You know in the shapeshifting community it's also possible for male pregnancies. With the proper care, you can have a healthy birthing process without too much pain hopefully. So there's no need to be afraid. It might be uncommon but you're far from the first." Deaky said.

"Really?" Freddie gasped. "So hypothetically if I wanted to impregnate a certain male shape shifter, what steps would I need to take?"

"W-What? Oh, oh no, Freddie! I-I don't want to do that." John stammered.

"This band can only handle one pregnant member at a time. If Deaky's knocked up and you're all fussing over him, then who will be there to take care of me?" I cried.

"I'll always be here for you, Roggie. You're mine to care for." Brian said. "And the baby is mine to care for as well."

" _Ours."_ I corrected him.

"Of course. Ours always."

_John's POV_

I hadn't thought about having a baby before. Well, I did plan on adopting some day, but for now Freddie's furbabies were enough for me. Now though when I saw Roger with a beautiful baby bump and the excited look on his Brian's faces, I was starting to reconsider...

Freddie was so good with Mary's baby, our godson. He'd make the perfect father, singing the sweetest of lullabies and spoiling the baby rotten. I wanted the joy of carrying my soulmate's baby. I knew it was possible, but most shapeshifters stuck to their preferred bodies, especially when doing something intimate like sex with your partner.

I lie back on the bed deep in thought as Freddie played the piano over his head, a familiar melody.  _"Love of my life, you've hurt me..."_ He sang softly. I could only imagine what an angelic voice Freddie's baby would have. Our very own little baby muse, to teach our songs and love and care for. Oh how cute!

"Freddie, I've been thinking." I broached with a deep breath.

"You want to bare my child, don't you, darling? I know you do. Please please say yes. We'll have the sweetest little baby you could possibly imagine. We'll cradle it and sing lullabies and kiss it all over. It'll be like a kitten only even better."

"I want it too." I agreed. The only problem was making it happen. "B-But...Well, have you ever had straight person sex?"

"Straight person sex? What kind of vanilla shit is that?" Freddie wrinkled his nose.

"I mean sex with a woman." I clarified.

"Oh." He went quiet. "Darling, I'm afraid I'm not very good at that. I'm a great lover as you know all too well, but when it comes to pleasuring women...Well there's a reason my soulmate's a man. Let's leave it at that."

"Um, in order to have a baby I'd have to shapeshift...you know..." I gestured to my lower body. I'd be able to shift back when the deed was done, but still I didn't want to make Freddie uncomfortable.

"Well that's different, dear. You're my soulmate. You'll always be my adorable Deaky and I'll still get satisfaction from our love making no matter what especially if I know that we're not just fooling around for the hell of it. We're making a baby. It'll be the most special sex I've ever had and I'd be honored." He assured me.

"So let's do it!" I exclaimed. "Right now lets make a baby!" I couldn't be more excited and Freddie agreed with a tender kiss. "I won't misfire, lovie." He whispered winking at me.

I couldn't wait to meet our new baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maylor And Deacury babies on the way!!! Thoughts?

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out much darker than I originally intended! I promise it will get better though. What are your thoughts? Do you like it so far? We'll find out more about how Brian, Roger and Deaky fit into this world in the next chapters. Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated! <3


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